Column: Thoughts on Elite 8 loss and the future
- 48 minutes ago
- 5 min read
April 1, 2026
The Duke Wisdom Network gives Duke fans and community members a chance to have their thoughts published via professionally edited opinion columns. The following is a column written by DWN contributor, Ty Scott.
Another disappointing season end for my beloved Dukies.
My thoughts from the Elite 8 loss to UConn are the same as the 2024-25 Final Four lost to Houston: Duke was the better team and crumbled. Unlike last year's second half meltdown, I thought Duke started to crumble even earlier this past Sunday, starting to faulter at the end of the first half of the UConn game.
I’m not sure why Jon Scheyer's teams struggle to maintain leads in big games. The last four losses for Duke were all blown double-digit leads that dissolved into final-minute, close losses. That is not a recipe for success.
I believe Duke peaked with the Michigan win on Feb. 21, but injuries to starters Patrick Ngongba and Caleb Foster really lowered the ceiling for the team in March. Duke did not play well in any game in the NCAA Tournament, with the second half vs. TCU in the round of 32 being the exception. Then, St John’s in the Sweet 16 --- which turned into the Foster legacy game --- heavily relied on the point guard's return and influence to come up victorious.
Other teams are buzzing right now, like Arizona and Michigan. That's why I do not believe Duke would have won the title this year. They would have had to face either one of those scorching No. 1 seeds, and I don’t believe it would’ve ended well. Teams that go on and win the national championship are usually the teams that beating their opponents easily.
Meanwhile, Duke was down 11 at halftime to No. 16 seed Siena.
I had more faith in last year's Duke team winning the title over this year’s. That group was at its peak and I had no doubt they were best team in the tournament. Meanwhile, this year’s top teams seem to be Arizona and Michigan.
Duke seemed to be a better team than UConn all year. And in the first half, that rang true. UConn wasn’t hitting shots to start, but when the big moments arose in the second half, Duke failed to adjust inside, letting Tarris Reed Jr. get anything he wanted in the post. No one in a white uniform could defend him.
Reed going off for 26 points and nine rebounds coupled with the increased defense from UConn turned the tide in the second half.
Reed was hands down the best player on the court. Duke's National Player of the Year Cameron Boozer was great, but he and Duke's other big men couldn’t stop Reed. In fact, Reed stopped Boozer around the rim multiple times, which was a big factor.
With Reed getting anything he wanted in the post combined with the stagnant second half Duke offense, the Huskies had all the momentum. So, once UConn starting to hit shots from three, it only caused more panic for Duke.
Scheyer did not utilize a zone defense like he had in games prior. I think that would’ve helped stop some of the bleeding Reed caused while simultaneously slowing down the entire Husky offense once the triples started falling.
UConn won the game for what they did in the second half, but at the same time, Duke didn't do itself any favors.
And of course, I can’t fail to mention the play everyone is talking about: the final seconds when Cayden Boozer turned over the ball. Yes, it never should’ve happened, but they also shouldn’t have been in that position in the first place. Duke committed numerous turnovers throughout the second half --- mostly because the offense fell stagnant.
I don’t know what Scheyer and the staff’s game plan was in the last huddle, but there were so many better options than throwing the overhead pass in that moment --- even if Isaiah Evans and Ngongba were open. Cayden could have thrown the ball straight up in the air to burn out the clock. Or, he could have called the last time out. Literally anything else was preferable. But, as I said before, poor execution dating back to the end of the first half is mainly to blame.
If Duke played consistently, Cayden Boozer never would’ve been in that spot.
It’s unfortunate that Duke is in this position again. I thought the staff would have developed a plan to avoid repeating last year's ending. Granted, Duke had leads in many games this year and won them. But having similar meltdowns in the biggest games of the season the last two years is not a great look.
It would have been easier to stomach if UConn had been ahead the whole time, or if it was a back-and-forth, competitive game. I can't accept a loss that is a repeat of previous faults.
Congratulations to Dan Hurley and UConn: they truly earned the win --- as painful as that is to write. The second half was a combination of Duke collapsing and UConn playing tougher.
And when you lose such a great advantage, the headlines don't read the "UConn won." They say: “Duke blew the lead."
I love Duke basketball, so it’s a bummer that this team’s ending will never be remembered like the 2022 and 2025 dramatic Final Four losses. Scheyer took responsibility for the Houston loss, and I believe he will take responsibility for this year’s letdown.
Many Duke fans may not having confidence in the team, especially heading into next year’s tournament. The dramatic losses tend to follow you, especially when it happens twice in a row. Plus, there are question marks surrounding next year's roster. It isn’t close to being set yet with the graduation of Maliq Brown, NBA decisions, and portal or non-portal news coming out soon.
Next year, I do not see a Cameron Boozer or Cooper Flagg-like player on the team. However, I hope that Scheyer and company fix the glaring problems in late-game execution and fill the holes in the rotation to create a team that’s going to be full throttle every game and never allow other teams to have life once they establish sizeable leads.
But maybe even more than that, I hope that Scheyer, as a head coach, can win a title and lose the “choke,” “can’t close games,” “can’t win big games” tags. Duke fans everywhere know that the Houston and UConn meltdowns will never go away, but I have faith that the program we love is more than capable of writing a new chapter.
@tyscottsays | Twitter/X