“It’s hard to recruit against them because they get whoever they want,” KU coach Roy Williams said of “Coach K” and the Blue Devils, who will take a 26-6 record into Thursday’s NCAA West Regional semifinal against Kansas (27-7).

“They’ve been one of the great powers for the last 10 or 12 years,” Williams added. “We’ll play to the best of our ability. There are no holes in their game.”

That’s because of the talent that Krzyzewski has assembled in outrecruiting not only Duke’s Atlantic Coast Conference rivals, but also the other powerhouse programs in the country.

A look at this year’s roster shows Krzyzewski’s most recent recruiting bonanza. The Devils boast six freshmen.

The freshmen are: J.J. Redick, a 6-foot-4 guard from Roanoke, Va., who averages 15.3 points a game after hitting 94 of 227 threes (.414); Sheldon Williams, 6-9 from Midwest City, Okla., who averages 8.3 points and 6.0 boards; Shavlik Randolph, 6-10 from Raleigh, N.C., who averages 7.4 points and 3.9 boards; Sean Dockery, 6-2 from Chicago, who averages 3.3 points a game; plus the seldom-used Michael Thompson, 6-10 from Joliet, Ill., and Lee Melchionni, 6-6 from Lancaster, Pa.

Sophomore Daniel Ewing, 6-3 from Missouri City, Texas, who averages 11.9 points a game, was one of the country’s top guard recruits two seasons ago.

The team also has a steadying influence in a pair of veterans — 6-6 senior Dahntay Jones and 6-1 junior Chris Duhon, who average 17.5 and 9.2 points respectively.

Duke advanced to Thursday’s 8:57 p.m. CST Sweet 16 contest against Kansas in Anaheim, Calif., by edging Colorado State, 67-57, and burying Central Michigan, 86-60, in games played in Salt Lake City. The Duke-KU game will follow a Sweet 16 showdown between Notre Dame (24-9) and Arizona (27-3), slated to start at 6:27 p.m. CST.

“We’re happy we’re even going to Anaheim,” Krzyzewski told the Associated Press.

First, the Devils decided to head back home for a couple of days, trying to get healthy. Redick, who is battling a sinus infection, hit five of seven threes against Central Michigan and scored 26 points. Jones, who has been battling the flu, scored 28.

“J.J.’s threes inspire the whole team, me especially,” Krzyzewski said. “He was really sick (Friday). I mean really sick. He’s just a tough kid.”

The Blue Devils, who have won five straight games after finishing the regular season with two losses in three games, have reached the Sweet 16 for the sixth consecutive season and the 13th time since 1986.

Duke and KU have met four times in the NCAA Tournament, twice in the Final Four. Their last meeting was in 2000, when the Blue Devils beat the Jayhawks, 69-64, in the second round of the East Regional. Duke beat Kansas, 72-65, for the national championship in 1991 and lost to the Jayhawks in the semifinals in 1988, 71-67.