Krzyzewski Says UCLA Chose to End Series

As this high-profile, six-game series came to a close, Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski on Sunday put the onus directly on UCLA for choosing to end it.

“Absolutely, it was UCLA’s decision,” Krzyzewski said after Duke’s 36-point victory. “I would never stop a series like this . . “I’m sad that it’s over. . . . We need big games. This is a big game, Duke-UCLA. They’re down a little with [Jelani] McCoy gone. But year in, year out, it’s a wash.”

Krzyzewski suggested that the Bruins ended the series because UCLA was worried about Duke’s ability to land West Coast recruits--including current Blue Devils Ricky Price and Chris Burgess.

“We’re going to be able to recruit anywhere, fairly well, with or without games--if that’s the rationale [for ending the series],” Krzyzewski said “Whether or not we play in an area, kids will want to come to Duke.”

After Krzyzewski’s statements, UCLA Coach Steve Lavin repeated his comments that he’d like to continue to play Duke, but also wanted to play teams such as Purdue.

“We don’t want it to end. I told Coach Krzyzewski that before the game,” Lavin said.

Lavin also denied that the Bruins were turning away from Duke for recruiting reasons.

“It helps us in recruiting,” Lavin said. “These are the games we really sell.”

Senior forward Kris Johnson, serenaded with chants and taunts from the infamous student section of Cameron Indoor Stadium, said he thought “all of them were funny.”

Johnson, who ridiculed the Stanford student section after its harrassment of him and Jelani McCoy earlier this month, said being in North Carolina made all the difference.

“These are real basketball fans here,” Johnson said. “That makes all the difference.”

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Thursday, at Washington State: Friel Court in Pullman, Wash., wouldn’t exactly be the Bruins’ first choice to travel to in the midst of their recent slump. UCLA needed a last-second, length-of-the-court dash by Cameron Dollar to defeat the Cougars last season there, 87-86, on the final weekend of the regular season. UCLA last lost at Washington State in 1993.