LEXINGTON, KY. ? Mike Krzyzewski makes no excuses. Still, questions abound following Duke’s ouster from the NCAA Tournament by Indiana.

“There are human elements in all these things,” Krzyzewski said. “I would never, ever blame a loss on one play, or an official, or a player. If you want to blame anybody blame me.”

The nation’s No. 1 team, with perhaps college basketball’s No. 1 player and No. 1 coach, blew a 17-point first-half lead. With their lead fast evaporating, the Blue Devils did not switch to a zone despite Duke players in foul trouble and Indiana strong inside.

Then there’s All-American Jason Williams, who missed a foul shot Thursday night with about four seconds left that would have tied the score.

“The game is too great to reduce it to excuses or making bogus statements like: ‘If this would have happened or that would have happened,'” Krzyzewski said. “Well, it didn’t happen. Be a man and congratulate the winner and go on.”

The top-seeded Blue Devils (31-4) will have all spring and summer to mull this over. This was, after all, a team that returned four starters from last year’s national championship squad and now won’t be in Atlanta next week for the Final Four.

Determination has made Krzyzewski one of the game’s best coaches. His 58-15 record in the NCAAs can’t be disputed.

But was coach K too stubborn to switch to a defense he seldom uses, but one that may well have been called for as the game began to slip away?

Indiana won without making a single three-pointer in the second half as it pounded the ball inside to Jared Jeffries, who scored 24 points and had 15 rebounds, Jarrad Odle and Jeff Newton.

At times, Indiana’s best offense was a missed shot. The Hoosiers had 16 offensive rebounds in the second half as a tired Duke team couldn’t grab a breather.

Krzyzewski had 6-foot-10 Nick Horvath and 6-11 Matt Christensen at his disposal on the bench, but neither played. Casey Sanders was the only Duke big man to play as a reserve, and only for five minutes.

Failure to use much of a bench also raises questions about fatigue. Williams, Mike Dunleavy, Carlos Boozer and Chris Duhon played at least 35 minutes each. Only two Hoosiers played as many minutes.

“My guys have been terrific for me all year,” Krzyzewski said. “It’s hard for me to be sad about one game when I get an opportunity to work with these kids on a day-to-day basis.”

Williams has been plagued by mediocre free-throw shooting while at Duke. That shortcoming in an otherwise stellar career was highlighted in three of Duke’s four losses this season.

Williams missed six straight down the stretch in an early-January loss at Florida State. He missed one in the closing seconds at Virginia that could tied the score, and then there was the one that could have sent the regional semifinals into OT.

“I’m not sad about losing,” Williams said. “I’m just sad that it’s over. This has been the greatest ride of my life. I’ve done so much growing up in this last year, more than I can ever have imagined. I’m just sad it’s coming to an end.”

Duke’s players didn’t blame Williams, saying the guard has been a pillar for the team and will be missed when he leaves early for the NBA in June.

“He’s going to do amazing things at the next level,” Duhon said. “It hurts to see that kid always be the one taking the pressure shots and then get blamed for winning and losing. But that comes with the territory.

“He’s a winner,” Duhon added. “He’s the guy who wanted to shoot that free throw. He’s not scared to take the blame. It just happens sometimes.”