But Michael Savarino isn’t just any walk-on at any program. Savarino is walking on at Duke, where he’ll play for his grandfather, legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski.
So Savarino immediately becomes the highest profile walk-on in college basketball, months before the season begins.
“He’s earned it,” Krzyzewski told reporters (via ESPN.com). “Michael was a really good player at Durham Academy, well-coached there, they had their best season ever. Played on a talented team this year. Michael is a leader, he’s a good shooter, player. He’s also an outstanding student. He’s able to be admitted to Duke.”
Savarino, the son of Krzyzewski’s oldest daughter, Debbie, lives in Durham and has grown up with the Blue Devils, regularly attending games and sitting behind the Duke bench. He even appeared in an ESPN commercial with his grandfather in 2015.
Duke basketball tweeted the news of Savarino’s walk-on status by noting, “We’ve seen our guy @michael__sav grow up right in front of us! Absolute gym rat will be a great addition to the squad.”
“I’ve always tried to avoid that reputation of living in your grandfather’s shadow,” Savarino told WRAL Radio in Raleigh, North Carolina. “I chose this because I feel like I earned it. I feel like I’ve worked hard every single day for this. I wanted to come to Duke because I wanted to be a part of this program. I want to embrace everything about it and just play under my grandfather, who I’ve watched my whole life.
“It’s been a dream for me my whole life. But it’s going to be an unbelievable experience when I walk in the locker room with my jersey hanging up saying ‘Savarino’ for the first time. I don’t know how I’m going to react or anything like that.”
