Mike Krzyzewski Might Want To Start Paying Attention To The College Basketball Trial Now

Just a day after Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said the ongoing college basketball fraud trial was “not what’s happening” and “a blip” that he was not paying any attention to, Zion Williamson’s name came out at trial.

Duke’s top freshman was the subject of a phone conversation between Adidas consultant Merl Code and Kansas assistant Kurtis Townsend that was intercepted by the FBI.

A transcript of that conversation was read Tuesday in court, though its contents were not used as evidence, per Dan Wetzel.

In a taped conversation that was not allowed into evidence today, Adidas' Merl Code and Kansas asst Kurtis Townsend discuss the recruitment of Zion Williamson, who wound up at Duke. In arguing for admission, a transcript was read by Code defense atty Mark Moore. (thread)
— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) October 16, 2018

Code: "Hey, but between me and you, he asked about some stuff ... I know what he's asking for. He's asking for opportunities from an occupational perspective, he's asking for cash in the pocket and he's asking for housing for him and his family."
— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) October 16, 2018

Kurtis Townsend: "I've got to just try to work and figure out a way because if that's what it takes to get him here for 10 months, we're going to have to do it some way."
— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) October 16, 2018

Kansas, of course, did not wind up signing Williamson. Duke did. And while nothing that happened at trial Tuesday implicates Duke directly, are we really supposed to believe that Krzyzewski didn’t know that Williamson or someone representing him was asking for jobs, cash and housing in exchange for Williamson’s commitment?

If Duke (or Kansas for that matter) actually made such an offer for Williamson, we don’t have evidence of it.

But the trial is still going, and this might be the moment Krzyzewski starts to tune in.