All articles tagged with #duke
After UConn beat Duke in the Elite Eight, Dan Hurley’s postgame moment with referee Roger Ayers was described by Ayers as nothing, with no contact or malice; the Huskies advance to the Final Four to face Illinois, paced by Mullins’ go-ahead three.
A sports outlet updates the top 10 NCAA Tournament buzzer-beaters, placing Braylon Mullins’ 35-foot shot for UConn to beat Duke at No. 3 behind Christian Laettner’s 1992 Elite Eight winner and Kris Jenkins’ 2016 title shot, with context on the clock, stakes and degree of difficulty across the list’s entries from 1983–2019 and 2026.
UConn edged Duke on Braylon Mullins’ last-second three to reach the Final Four, a moment amplified by a post-score confrontation as coach Dan Hurley pressed foreheads with a referee. The sequence, captured from multiple angles, revived debate over whether Hurley should have been assessed a technical and echoed his earlier ejection for confrontations with officials. The NCAA highlighted the play with a compilation of angles, while fans and analysts weighed whether the moment marred an iconic finish or showcased Hurley’s signature intensity.
Stephen A. Smith argues UNC’s 19-point first-round collapse to VCU in the NCAA Tournament was worse than Duke’s Elite Eight defeat to UConn, noting it cost Hubert Davis his job and had greater implications for UNC’s program, while Duke’s loss was painful but didn’t threaten its coaching future.
Duke’s Elite Eight loss to UConn ends their 2026 run and kicks off a pivotal offseason: Cameron Boozer is poised to enter the NBA draft (potential No. 1 pick), while the futures of Sarr, Ngongba II and Isaiah Evans remain uncertain; Caleb Foster, Cayden Boozer, Nik Khamenia and Darren Harris are expected back to provide experience. A powerhouse recruiting class (Cameron Williams, Deron Rippey Jr., Bryson Howard, Maxime Meyer) arrives to reshape the roster, with the option to add a transfer if needed depending on NBA decisions.
Braylon Mullins drilled a half-court 3 with 0.4 seconds left to cap a 19-point comeback, lifting UConn to a 73-72 win over Duke and into the Final Four. Tarris Reed Jr. led UConn with 26 points and nine rebounds, while Cameron Boozer had 27 for Duke before the heartbreaking finish. Hurley’s Huskies complete a stunning rally on the way to a third Final Four in four years.
Lauren Betts posted 23 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks to lift UCLA past Duke 70-58, overcoming a halftime deficit to reach the NCAA women's Final Four for the second straight year; the Bruins will face Texas or Michigan in Phoenix, with UConn on the other side of the bracket.
No. 1 UCLA overcame a halftime deficit and Duke’s defense to surge in the third quarter, with Lauren Betts scoring 23 and grabbing 10 rebounds (plus five blocks) and Angela Dugalic adding 15 off the bench, as the Bruins outscored Duke 20-8 in the third to win 70-58 and advance to the Final Four in Phoenix.
UConn erased a 19-point gap and edged Duke 73-72 in the Elite Eight when Braylon Mullins hit a 3 with 0.4 seconds left after a Duke turnover, sending the Huskies to the Final Four for a meeting with Illinois.
ESPN analyst Seth Greenberg says UConn’s path to an Elite Eight upset of Duke hinges on taking care of the ball against Duke’s length and crafting a defensive plan to neutralize Cameron Boozer, Isaiah Evans, and Foster, with Tarris Reed Jr. staying out of foul trouble as a crucial factor.
Friday's Sweet 16 delivered drama: Duke rallied to edge St. John’s 80-75 behind Caleb Foster’s emotional return; Michigan throttled Alabama 90-77 behind Yaxel Lendeborg to push its title bid forward; Iowa State fell 14 points to Tennessee, hampered by Joshua Jefferson’s injury; UConn extended its second-weekend win streak to 17, cementing its status as a title favorite as the Elite Eight slate is set.
Duke guard Ashlon Jackson hit a buzzer-beating 3 to defeat LSU in the NCAA Sweet 16 in Sacramento, delivering a dramatic win and a lasting March Madness moment for Kara Lawson’s team.
Eight teams remain in the 2026 NCAA men’s tournament, ranked by national championship odds from No. 1 to No. 8: Michigan, Arizona, Duke, Illinois, Purdue, UConn, Iowa, and Tennessee. The Elite Eight matchups are Illinois vs Iowa and Arizona vs Purdue in one region, and Michigan vs Tennessee and Duke vs UConn in the other. The piece highlights Michigan’s ceiling, Arizona’s balance and dominance, and notes Duke’s injuries, Illinois’ peak form, Purdue’s high-powered offense, UConn’s strong coaching with some inconsistency, Iowa’s grind-heavy style led by Stirtz, and Tennessee’s rebounding toughness as factors shaping the title race.
Caleb Foster returned from a broken foot to score 11 in the second half as No. 1 Duke rallied from a 10-point deficit to beat No. 5 St. John's 80-75 and reach the Elite Eight; Isaiah Evans scored 25 and Cameron Boozer 22 with 10 rebounds as Duke extended its win streak to 14 and will face UConn or Michigan State in the East Region final.
Ashlon Jackson hit a 3 at the buzzer to lift third-seeded Duke over No. 2 LSU 87-85 in the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA Tournament, sending Duke to the Elite Eight to face UCLA after LSU briefly led in the final seconds.