There might still be some Duke basketball fans out there who aren’t over how the program’s season ended in 2025-26.
Duke entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed with its roster headlined by the runaway National Player of the Year, Cameron Boozer. Coming off a thrilling Sweet 16 win over St. John’s, the Blue Devils looked poised to make a Final Four appearance for the second consecutive year. It looked that way for the majority of Duke’s Elite Eight contest with 2-seed UConn. Then, everything fell apart.
Duke Experiences Monumental Collapse Against UConn in Elite Eight
The Blue Devils were in full control for the majority of the contest. Duke possessed a 15-point cushion on the Huskies at the halftime break, and frankly, the game looked over after the first half had ended.
Head coach Jon Scheyer had his guys ready to go, and Duke looked like the better team by far. Even through the majority of the second half, it looked like Dan Hurley had no hope.
The Blue Devils held a lead as large as 19 points in the first half. In the second half, they led by 17 points with just over 17 minutes left, 11 points with under eight minutes to go, and five with under two minutes to go. It all came crashing down in the end.
In a sequence that will probably live in college basketball infamy forever, UConn guard Silas Demary Jr. knocked down a free throw with 10 seconds left to make the score 72-70 with 10 seconds to go. Duke was inbounding the ball, and basically just had to wait to get fouled once the ball was live.
Cayden Boozer eventually had it in play and tried to float a pass over half-court to Patrick Ngongba. The ball was tipped back into UConn’s favor and eventually found the hands of freshman Braylon Mullins. Mullins pulled up from the logo with under five seconds to go and knocked it down. UConn sealed a miracle 73-72 win, cementing one of the worst collapses in NCAA Tournament history. Before the Blue Devils’ collapse, 1-seeds in the NCAA Tournament that held a halftime lead of 15 points or more were 134-0. UConn led twice the entire game: 2-0 and 73-72.
Dan Hurley Speaks on Miracle Win Over Duke
It’s the type of ending that will be deemed as one of the best in NCAA Tournament history for every fan base besides the Blue Devil faithful.
On a recent episode of the Eye on College Basketball Podcast, Hurley spoke on one of the most incredible wins of his storied coaching career. “Just, you know, how hard we had to fight in the game,” Hurley said. “Just how great Duke was, how great Duke is. How much respect you have for that opponent. Having to beat a program like that to get to a Final Four.”
“The level of gratification on that one was through the roof,” Hurley later added on the victory. “Just because, it was a character win. You know, it was truly like a culture win.”
Coming off two straight NCAA Tournament collapses, Scheyer and Co. built one of the deepest and most talented rosters in college basketball to rebound and hopefully bring a sixth national title to Durham in 2027. Ironically, former Blue Devil Nik Khamenia, who was with Duke when Mullins hit that shot, transferred to UConn this offseason.
Duke will face the Huskies in Las Vegas on Nov. 25.
