DURHAM, N.C. — Mike Krzyzewski has lamented this as a season of interruptions so far for No. 8 Duke — and the latest one has to do with Coach K himself.

The Hall of Fame coach’s upcoming leave of absence to have back surgery is the latest blow to a Blue Devils team that began the season ranked No. 1. Duke has shown flashes of playing like a top-ranked team, but not consistently.

It hasn’t helped that three immediate-impact freshmen were injured to start the season. They got healthy just in time for their preseason AP All-America guard to earn an indefinite suspension and be stripped of his team captaincy for tripping yet another opponent.

Krzyzewski will coach the Blue Devils (12-2, 0-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) for one more game — tonight against Georgia Tech — before having surgery Friday to remove a fragment of a herniated disk from his lower back. Associate head coach Jeff Capel will take over in his absence.