Morning Power Bar: Coach K Retires

This is a weekly column for BTPowerhouse that will cover a variety of Big Ten topics that might not deserve a detailed breakdown, but deserve mention. It will be similar to a news roundup with more thoughts and analysis.

So, let’s jump into our Morning Power Bar.

1. Coach K retires from Duke.

College basketball has as many twists and turns as a soap opera, but this is certainly something I didn’t expect to see entering this week. On Wednesday, Mike Krzyzewski announced his retirement, indicating the 2021-’22 season will be his last at Duke.

There’s little denying this will be one of the most significant offseason developments in the sport and will shape the ACC and national discourse for years to come. Coach K and Duke have been one of the most dominant forces on the scene since he arrived and there’s little predicting what will follow him. Of course, we wish him and his family the best in retirement.

2. The debate over NIL continues on in Washington.

Coach K’s retirement might reshape the sport in the years ahead, but the name, image, and likeness (“NIL”) reforms could revolutionize college athletics permeantly. And with many states set to “legalize” NIL benefits next month, the national debate is really starting to fire up. And at least one report suggests it might lead to athletic unions.

Overall, it’s an interesting concept and one that deserves some exploration. It’s unclear what the unions could do to improve things for the athletes, but it’s clear some type of advocate is going to be needed if they are signing endorsement deals and can’t sign agents, per NCAA rules. It will be an interesting issue to follow.

3. Another high school league?

There’s a long history of organizers attempting to monetize the high school game and it looks like another one could be taking form this year. The Overtime Elite basketball program is taking shape and it should host some of the nation’s best talent. Keep an eye on things there as it could lead to some really entertaining national games.

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