The front page article on today's DBR offers a link to a piece that goes into more detail on the Duke connection to Anderson:
https://www.nwahomepage.com/sports/p...pt_credirect=1
"This so called "odd fit" came about with help from an unlikely source. Former Duke University guard and current Pittsburg head coach Jeff Capel, who played against Arkansas in the 1994 NCAA title game, got the ball rolling with Anderson to St John's after a conversation with his wife. St. Johns AD Mike Gragg described it this way: "Jeff is one of my closest friends. His wife, Kanika, over their breakfast table, said, ‘Have you told Mike about Coach Anderson?’ So obviously that was the starting point. He got Mike's phone number. Then I called Coach K (Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski) and he said, ‘Wow. If you can get him, that’d be amazing.’ And so guess what I did?" Upon hearing the news that Gragg had hired Anderson Krzyzewski posted the following on a St. John's basketball fan site: "What a terrific hire for St. John's! Mike Anderson is a winner. Period. I have always been impressed with Mike going back to his days as an assistant coach under the legendary Nolan Richardson at Arkansas. He has a championship level pedigree and is an accomplished coach at the highest levels of our sport. He is going to love working with Mike Gragg as together they'll build an elite culture and basketball program at St. John's."
The Macchiavellian in me says Capel didn't want to battle someone more formidable as he has been extremely active in the NY scene since taking over at Pitt, but I doubt Jeff is that kind of Sneaky Pete...unless he is.