This is what's scary about Duke: Mike Krzyzewski plans on coaching for another 10 seasons -- or more.

He doesn't walk on water, but a week after he was inducted into the Hall of Fame -- presented by his former Army coach Bob Knight who said he was most proud of Krzyzewski being successful the "right way" -- the consensus in college basketball is that as long as Krzyzewski is at Duke, a dynasty will reign.

And this king isn't a feared despot. Duke and Krzyzewski are respected for their greatness on the court as well as their class off it.

	Mike Dunleavy, Chris Duhon and Jason Williams celebrate last year's championship.

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, Duke is here to stay as the New York Yankees of college basketball and are the odds-on favorite to repeat as national champions for the first time since Duke did it in 1991 and '92. Depending on who stays and who leaves early for the NBA, Duke should have the personnel (see: No. 1 ranked recruiting class this November) to make a run at the title in 2003, too.

"I don't know if Coach K is the Boss (George Steinbrenner) or Joe Torre or a compilation of the two," said Missouri coach Quin Snyder, a former Duke assistant and player. "They're a symbol of excellence. K's leadership is unparalleled. Players believe in him as a leader. The more he lets them play, the greater he becomes. He recognizes that. As much success as they've had, the more he lets go and it's not about him, Duke continues to win and win and win."

They also continue to get some of the best players in each recruiting class. But even more impressive is that they get who they want, almost never losing a player that they covet, even if he isn't the best at his position.

Once in Durham the past few seasons, they simply get better and evolve into player of the year candidates (see: Shane Battier and Jason Williams) or some of the best at their position (hello, Mike Dunleavy Jr.).

Sure, Duke has had its attrition, losing Elton Brand, Corey Maggette and William Avery early to the NBA. They've had transfers like Chris Burgess, who wasn't pleased with playing time. They'll lose more players early to the NBA -- Williams and Carlos Boozer at the end of this season. But in another way to combat this trend, both players are expected to graduate after their junior year.

Something that seems like it would only be at Duke.

"I don't know that I would call them the model," Colorado coach Ricardo Patton said. "They're the exception. They're always a select few programs that just have a little bit more of an edge versus the others in the country and coach Krzyzewski has built one of the great programs ever."

To do that, it starts at the top.

Knight, who like Krzyzewski has won three national titles, said Krzyzewski never gives himself enough credit for his time as a player at Army. He said Krzyzewski was one of the best at recognizing his limitations and ensuring that he was doing the right thing for the team to win by knowing when to pass, when to screen or shoot.

"Bob Knight went recruiting one year when I was an assistant at Army and I was left with the team, and the only reason I got through that practice was because of a senior named Mike Krzyzewski," said Baylor coach Dave Bliss. "He made everyone do what they were supposed to do and it still goes down as the best practice I've ever been around."

Bliss said Krzyzewski not only gets the best players, he gets the best out of the players. That's something that Snyder, Oklahoma State's Eddie Sutton and Iowa State's Larry Eustachy, just to name a few, are in awe about -- how he continues to not only get great talent but make them accept roles and excel at an elite level.

	“	It's a dynasty. It's a throwback to UCLA. They don't play for league championships. They don't play for rivalries. They play for national championships. ”
		— Larry Eustachy, Iowa State head coach

"It's documented what he's done," Eustachy said. "It's a dynasty. It's a throwback to UCLA. They don't play for league championships. They don't play for rivalries. They play for national championships. He's the best. You get the great players and coaching becomes difficult. You get McDonald's all-Americans and they all want to play. But not all of them can. The most difficult task for a coach is to define roles."

Battier said Krzyzewski isn't stubborn enough to think his way is the only way to coach. He said Krzyzewski reinvents himself each season, always capitalizing on the players. And the Duke style of play, which is predicated on pressure defense in the halfcourt, skilled, shooting guards and forwards, and a free-wheeling approach, isn't described as a bear to prepare for by opposing teams.

But it still works the majority of times.

"Other teams can do what we do, because it's not like we had secrets," Boozer said. "We ran the floor a lot and we had fantastic players in Jason Williams and Shane Battier. Other teams can. All we do is go out and play. If we have a secret, it's coach K."

Naturally, Krzyzewski deflects the credit. He was so humbled at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony Oct. 5 that he refused to say this was a personal triumph. He said all of his Duke players and coaches were on the podium with him and he made sure he shared everything that has happened to him with his wife and three daughters.

"If you keep bringing in good kids and good players to your program then you're going to win, not necessarily the national championship all the time, but you're going to win," Krzyzewski said. "We play a style that is exciting to the players. It starts with the players and the assistant coaches who all add a passion to what I do."

Other coaches and players share similar work ethic, but the Duke staff has never been accused of being lax in recruiting. And that rubs off when the players get on campus.

"Coach sticks with his principles," said former Duke player and present assistant Johnny Dawkins. "He's got the relationship with these players that fosters a trust. He never takes anything for granted and is never complacent. If you take a laid back coach then the players are laid back. He's intense and so are the players."

Battier said the beauty of the program and coach K is there is never a lapse that "other programs have." It happened when Coach K took a year off in 1995 because of a bad back and exhaustion. The Blue Devils were 9-3 when Krzyzewski handed the team over to assistant Pete Gaudet. They finished 13-18, missing the NCAA Tournament. Duke's overall record since then is 175-37

Duke got to the NCAA title game in 1999, losing to Connecticut, then lost three players early to the NBA and then still got back to the top two years later with the national title. Williams could have gone to the NBA last season. So, too, could Boozer, Dunleavy and even Chris Duhon.

"Our ability to keep kids lately is something because it's not the norm in college basketball," said former Duke player and assistant Steve Wojciechowski. "There's no question that there are very few people who are neutral on us, but they all admire what coach K has done. Success breeds excitement and contempt. We're the game everyone looks at right now. Everyone wants to make their mark against Jason Williams or Carlos Boozer."

And it will continue throughout the 2001-02 season and beyond, as long as Krzyzewski is ruling Duke.

"It is unique because it's a unique school, with a unique guy," said former Duke player and assistant and present Michigan coach Tommy Amaker. "They're simply on a different level. There is an aura about them in recruiting and on the court, but they work hard at both. And in the end it's all about winning. That's why you've got a love-hate relationship with them like the Yankees or the old Celtics.

"We're in a time in sports where we don't appreciate that as much as we should. A lot of times you have to be lucky, but you marvel at the success. And they've done it with class and excellence."

Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.