Krzyzewski gives part of that credit to his senior captain, Quinn Cook.
"He's had a good teacher, and it hasn't been his coach," he said. "It's been primarily Quinn."
Cook and Jones' relationship has been well-documented. Jones came to Durham a five-star recruit, leading some outside the program to speculate how the duo could co-exist in the backcourt.
But Cook immediately diffused the tension, mentoring Jones while preparing to hand over the keys to the Blue Devil offense and accept more of a shooting role as the off-guard.
"Quinn has had a big impact on me since the first day I stepped on campus," Jones said. "He's really been a big brother to me and just helped me in so many different ways both on and off the court, giving me advice, pushing me to be a better player. Just welcoming me with open arms really helped make the transition from high school to college [easier]."
Up in East Lansing, Mich., a similar situation was developing without the intense scrutiny.
Senior guard Travis Trice inherited the Michigan State offense after Gary Harris and Keith Appling departed. A prolific three-point shooter like Cook, the Huber Heights, Ohio, native was projected to be the Spartans' primary ball-handler as well.
Enter Lourawls "Tum Tum" Nairn Jr.
Much less heralded than Jones coming out of high school, Nairn Jr. came to Izzo with a lot to learn, having grown up playing basketball in the Bahamas. Trice was more than willing to be his mentor, fully aware of the freshman's talent at his position.
"As soon as he got on campus, I kind of took him under my wing and said 'Just know you can come to me about anything,'" Trice said. "This was before the season even started. [I said], 'If you take my spot and you start starting and I come off the bench, don't feel like we're not friends anymore or you can't talk to me.'"
Both freshmen are pass-first point guards, but Nairn Jr. differs from Jones in that the Nassau, Bahamas, native rarely looks to shoot at all, averaging just 2.2 points on 2.2 shots per game compared to Jones' 11.6 points per game. One of his biggest strengths lies in his speed, as he is able to push the tempo to help set up Trice and other teammates in transition.
Cook and Trice have reaped the rewards of their selflessness. Each has enjoyed a career year in their final collegiate season because the freshmen have become the distributors. Cook has posted career-bests in scoring and three-point field goal percentage and has been a workhorse for Krzyzewski, rarely getting a breather in the heart of ACC play. Trice's scoring, rebounding and assist numbers have all doubled this season.
"Tum Tum is like the Energizer bunny. You turn him on and turn him off at the end of practice," Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo said. "He goes and goes and goes.... Him walking into this building, it was priceless to see the look on his face. You have an appreciation for that when you coach. But I think he's going to be a phenomenal leader down the stretch."
Nairn Jr. came off the bench against Duke Nov. 18 and scored two points in 21 minutes. His first start came Jan. 5 in a win against Indiana—a game in which he scored a then-career high seven points—but the freshman found himself out of the starting lineup just three nights later.
Once again, Trice was there with timely advice. The biggest message he sent? Don't take anything for granted.
"We were talking one night and I told him I was alright, and he was like 'I know how that can be. You start one game and then the next game you're out of the starting lineup and you didn't do anything wrong,'" Nairn Jr. said. "He just told me to keep my head up. We were talking the other day on the bus after we won the Elite Eight game to go the Final Four and I said, 'Man, can you believe we did it?'" He said 'Yeah, you just better be so thankful because I've been wanting this for four years and you got it in your first year.'"
Despite Trice's consistent production, Michigan State struggled to find itself into February. That's when Izzo inserted Nairn Jr. into the starting lineup in place of Bryn Forbes, and suddenly, everything clicked.
The Spartans enter Saturday's game having won 12 of their last 15 games. Nairn Jr. has started all of them, freeing up Trice to focus on scoring. The senior has come through in the NCAA tournament with 19.8 points per game and said the lineup change allowed him to follow Izzo's directive and play more aggressively on the offensive end.
"When I got in the starting lineup I felt no change in Travis. He treated me the exact same way," Nairn Jr. said. "When he moved off the ball, we started playing so much better, I think he understood that because he's a winner."
For experienced floor generals, watching a younger player take over the point guard responsibilities is not easy. Wisconsin point guard Traevon Jackson was forced to watch it happen from the bench after breaking his foot Jan. 11 against Rutgers.
Bronson Koenig filled in admirably for Jackson—who returned to the floor last weekend and will likely split time with Koenig Saturday against Kentucky—but watching the sophomore assume his leadership role was sometimes difficult.
"Honestly, at first it was tough. Not necessarily because of Bronson or anything against him, but just knowing you worked this hard and have been in this moment to get to where you want to get and it's here," Jackson said. "Bronson has been doing great. He has been special in terms of how he has grown up during this time. I just help and encourage him and everybody else as well."
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