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FILE – In this March 7, 2015, file photo, Utah’s Delon Wright (55) wipes his face during a break in the action against Washington in an NCAA college basketball game, in Seattle. The Utes were ranked as high as No. 8 in the country at one point of the season, but lost three of the final five games to fall to No. 17 and limp into the Pac-12 tournament. (AP Photo/John Froschauer, File)
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FILE – In this Feb. 12, 2015, file photo, Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak shouts to his team during an NCAA college basketball game against Stanford in Salt Lake City. The Utes were ranked as high as No. 8 in the country at one point of the season, but lost three of the final five games to fall to No. 17 and limp into the Pac-12 tournament. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)
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Utah guard Delon Wright, left, fights for the ball with Georgetown guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera during the first half of an NCAA college basketball tournament round of 32 game in Portland, Ore., Saturday, March 21, 2015. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)
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Utah guard Delon Wright, left, shoots against Georgetown forward Mikael Hopkins during the first half of an NCAA college basketball tournament round of 32 game in Portland, Ore., Saturday, March 21, 2015. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)
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Utah guard Delon Wright, middle, goes to the hoop between Georgetown forward Mikael Hopkins, left, and Paul White during the first half of an NCAA college basketball tournament round of 32 game in Portland, Ore., Saturday, March 21, 2015. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)
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Utah guard Delon Wright speaks during a news conference at the NCAA college basketball tournament in Portland, Ore., Friday, March 20, 2015. Utah takes on Georgetown in the Round of 32 on Saturday. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)
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Utah guard Delon Wright speaks during a news conference at the NCAA college basketball tournament in Portland, Ore., Friday, March 20, 2015. Utah takes on Georgetown in the Round of 32 on Saturday. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)
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Utah guard Brandon Taylor calls to his teammates as he brings the ball down court during the first half of an NCAA college basketball tournament round of 32 game against Georgetown in Portland, Ore., Saturday, March 21, 2015. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)
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Utah guard Brandon Taylor, right, drives on Georgetown guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera during the first half of an NCAA college basketball tournament round of 32 game in Portland, Ore., Saturday, March 21, 2015. (AP Photo/Greg Wahl-Stephens)
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Utah guard Brandon Taylor, right, speaks as teammate Jordan Loveridge listens during a news conference at the NCAA college basketball tournament in Portland, Ore., Friday, March 20, 2015. Utah takes on Georgetown in the Round of 32 on Saturday. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)
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Utah guard Jakob Poeltl, right, celebrates with teammate Brandon Taylor during the second half of an NCAA college basketball second-round game against Stephen F. Austin in Portland, Ore., Thursday, March 19, 2015. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)
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Duke’s Jahlil Okafor (15) drives past San Diego State’s Angelo Chol during the second half of an NCAA tournament college basketball game in the Round of 32 in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, March 22, 2015. Duke won 68-49. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
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Duke’s Jahlil Okafor dunks against San Diego State during the second half of an NCAA tournament college basketball game in the Round of 32 in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, March 22, 2015. Duke won 68-49. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
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Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, right, shakes hands with Jahlil Okafor, left, during the second half of an NCAA tournament college basketball game against San Diego State in the Round of 32 in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, March 22, 2015. Duke won 68-49. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
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CORRECTS NAME OF DUKE PLAYER – Duke’s Jahlil Okafor, right, dunks against San Diego State’s Winston Shepard, left, during the first half of an NCAA tournament college basketball game in the Round of 32 in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, March 22, 2015. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
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Duke’s Jahlil Okafor (15) and San Diego State’s Skylar Spencer (0) chase the ball during the second half of an NCAA tournament college basketball game in the Round of 32 in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, March 22, 2015. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak told a story about running into Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski during a recruiting trip in Las Vegas last summer. The two were at a 7-11 store when Krystkowiak proclaimed, “There’s the real Coach K” and gave him a high-five.
The love wasn’t exactly returned.
“I don’t remember him laughing or stopping,” Krystkowiak said. “I thought it was funny, but not sure he noticed who I was.”
That moment could be a metaphor for the Sweet 16 matchup between the Utes and Blue Devils in Houston on Friday. Duke enters as the storied program with the No. 1 seed, the winningest coach in men’s Division I history and tied with Kentucky with nine McDonald’s All-Americans on the roster.
Utah won six total games in 2011-12 and hasn’t been to the Sweet 16 since 2004-05.
The Utes aren’t scared to say playing Duke is a really, really big deal, but insist they won’t be star-struck.
“I always wanted to play against Duke or North Carolina, Kentucky — a team like that,” All-Pac-12 guard Delon Wright said. “You just see them playing when you’re growing up. It’s a team you always watch on TV. You know pretty much every player that goes there year in and year out.
“Honestly, I’ve played against players better than them. It’s a mind game. Just don’t think about them being a storied program or anything. They’re regular players like us. They just happen to go to a big name school.”
Krystkowiak used the phrase “one of the best” four times in a row to describe different facets of the Blue Devils.
Center Dallin Bachynski said his mom is a huge Duke and Krzyzewski fan. Freshman center Jakob Poeltl is excited to face Player of the Year candidate Jahlil Okafor. Guard Brandon Taylor reminisced about Shane Battier and other Duke players that moved onto the NBA.
“If you go to some basketball kid’s house, there’s a decent chance they’ll know Jahlil Okafor,” Bachynski said. “Dallin Bachynski, I don’t know if it’s a household name. Being able to test myself against a player like that and see how I do, that’s a great experience for me.”
Praise aside, the Utes don’t seem intimidated. The program already reached unexpected heights this season, including being ranked in the Top 10 much of the year and winning two tournament games. They’ve played big programs in Kansas, UCLA and Arizona this season. So, this isn’t completely uncharted territory.
“There’s no need to sugarcoat anything, it’s an awesome opportunity,” Taylor said. “It’s special. You don’t get to play Duke every day. … Besides that, they’re another obstacle in front of our goal.
“Duke is a solid team all the way around. We know that. But we’re a solid team all the way around, too. At the end of the day whether you’re a McDonald’s All-American, whether you’re a Top 40 recruiting class. Four star, three star, two star — I was a no star. That really doesn’t matter. At this level, all that goes out the window,” he added.
Krystkowiak said it’s not yet time to “break out the scrapbook” and think about all they’ve achieved. They don’t plan on reaching the finish line Friday and the preparation has led to little sleep for the fourth-year coach.
He’s quick to personally accept the underdog label, saying “(Krzyzewski is) the man. He’s got 1,000 wins. I’ve got 100.”
But Krystkowiak believes his team isn’t just happy to be in the Sweet 16.
“I can only hope our guys aren’t satisfied or we’ll get embarrassed on Friday night,” Krystkowiak said. “I’m not sure we know everything that comes with it. It’s elite athletes. It’s the big-time stuff.
“We’ll find out Friday if we’re ready. I know we’re juiced and excited about it. A heck of lot of it is going out and making some plays in that environment.”