Mike Krzyzewski walked out from the tunnel and onto the court at the Dean E. Smith Center for pregame warm-ups. It was his 36th trip into the belly of the beast and also his last one.
His presence on the court instantly ignited the crowd, a packed house that had come to say -- well, not so much farewell, but perhaps, good riddance, to their most hated nemesis.
It's exactly what Mike Krzyzewski was hoping for.
"I'm used to it," Krzyzewski said. "I got what I expected, and I'm always ready for it."
So, too, was his team.