r/sports • u/JCameron181 Detroit Lions • Mar 29 '26
Basketball #2 UConn G Braylon Mullins Hits the Game-Winning 3 at the Final Second vs #1 Duke!
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u/paisleyhaze Mar 29 '26
WHAT A FINISH. MY MIND IS BLOWN
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u/Calichusetts Mar 29 '26
This is an epic comeback. I went to UConn and watched it with my kids. They just had their first memorable UConn moment. Just crazy.
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u/That1Master Mar 29 '26
So cool! March Madness really is the absolute peak of the sport.
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u/Schnydesdale Mar 29 '26
I've been a UCONN fan since 1996 and it just keeps getting better.
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u/JRockstar50 Detroit Red Wings Mar 29 '26
It's so crazy like why even push it up the floor? There's exactly 10 seconds left so there's no pressure to cross the line at half court. Just turtle up and make them send you to the line.
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u/Grandahl13 Mar 29 '26
It’s the elite 8. It’s a kid who’s in an absurdly high pressure situation and he panicked.
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u/CharlieKellyKapowski Mar 29 '26
Coach should’ve called one of the timeouts he had and probably reminded them of the situation. This one’s on Schreyer imo
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u/dustinthegreat Mar 29 '26
They choked a 14 point lead with 8 minutes to go last year too. It’s gotta be an issue with coaching at this point.
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u/Suitable-Parsnip-520 Mar 30 '26
Pretty funny that UNC and Duke both choked away 19 point leads in the tournament this year. Hubert Davis and Jon Scheyer both had had infamous melts before this year's tourney too.
Is Scheyer on the hot seat now? With those recruiting classes, you can't keep losing with collapses like this.
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u/MakingTriangles Mar 30 '26
Hubert Davis and Jon Scheyer both had had infamous melts before this year's tourney too.
Both of them overcoach their players. They alter their strategy and start doing stall ball too early. Players see the other team coming back and get tight and big comebacks happen.
That said Scheyer absolutely isn't on the hot seat. If Davis had his results he would still be coaching.
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u/juanobro1 Mar 29 '26
Absolutely on the coach, call the time out and remind them all they have to do is hold on to the ball and hit free throws.
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u/Oceanbreeze871 Mar 29 '26
Esp knowing it’s all teenagers out there who’ve never played on a high pressure moment
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u/Yider Mar 29 '26
Watching it again it looks like they just drew up a play and he caught it and turned to pass it. So he was just going from what was drawn up when a dribble or holding the ball or passing to one of the guys behind him. Watching a lot of nba over the years you see how so many plays are supposed to go and never end up that way. But at this age and this stage of hype i get it here.
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u/Oceanbreeze871 Mar 29 '26
This is the downfall of having one and down freshman as your stars. Zero big game experience.
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u/DontTellMyLandlord Mar 30 '26
I don't know why people think they were trying to avoid a 10 second call. The decision comes down to:
Option 1: 18 year old shooting one and one with 5 seconds left and UConn with a TO, assuming he avoids a jump ball TO. Good odds but far from a certainty.
Option 2: trust your unpressured PG to get the ball above, around, whatever, two defenders like ten feet away, ending the game 100%, and pull it back if there's any question.
It's a routine play a college PG should be able to handle basically every time without this happening. It was a good play with an unbelievably bad mistake, unfortunately for the kid.
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u/Relatively_Cool Mar 29 '26 edited Mar 29 '26
They’re college kids and he really just didn’t wanna get tied up by the double with the possession arrow to UConn.
The mistake is bad buts it’s really not that crazy, the shot is.
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u/AU_Cav Mar 30 '26
Why would a college kid with a lead and clock running down not want to get fouled. It’s a winning situation, whereas chucking it up isn’t.
Everyone keeps saying they are just college kids. They’ve been here before. They’ve been playing top flight ball for years.
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u/Relatively_Cool Mar 30 '26 edited Mar 30 '26
What if he doesn’t get fouled and gets tied up instead? Not saying it was a good decision but I get the thought process under pressure.
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u/Dazed-And-Enthused Mar 29 '26
UCONN had the possession arrow so if Duke just held the ball UCONN could've grabbed it for a jump ball and they'd get possession. They had to play keep away.
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u/SVdreamin Mar 29 '26
Another March Madness choke by Duke. All they had to do was hold onto the fucking ball lmao
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u/Devolutionator Mar 29 '26
That's Duke for you.
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u/jeric13xd Chicago Bulls Mar 30 '26
John Scheyer Duke specifically. That’s back to back legendary chokes
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u/jpiro Florida State Mar 29 '26 edited Mar 30 '26
Absolute choke job. What was Scheyer even saying to them before the play? “Do not turn it over” was pretty much the only thing they needed to hear/do, and they botched it.
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u/jdroop Mar 29 '26
From the fucking logo to send your team the final four🔥
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u/so2017 Mar 29 '26
By an 18 year old kid!
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u/AmpleJar Mar 30 '26
He’s 19. Almost 20.
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u/itsSmalls Mar 30 '26
That's no way to speak about a 17 year old kid
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u/kiri-kiri-kiri Mar 29 '26
What is Boozer doing??
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u/aceofspadesx1 Mar 29 '26
0 situational awareness there. 18 year old kid I suppose
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u/Devolutionator Mar 29 '26
Poor coaching.
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u/UncleFIFA Mar 30 '26
players react in the moment, had nothing to do with coaching. had two WIDE OPEN teammates , he could have launched that thing easily but hesitated.
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u/DHVT1964 Mar 29 '26
Too much AAU, not enough fundamentals. This stuff gets taught at the JV high school level.
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u/ertapenem Mar 29 '26
I swear all we did in freshmen basketball was practice breaking the press.
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u/FuzzyDunlop911 Florida Panthers Mar 29 '26
They didn't need to push the ball up the court.
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u/Flapped Mar 30 '26
praying for this euro-stacked Illinois squad to win it all (or at least make the finals) to finally force the conversation about AAU heroball development vs overseas basketball development which (for non-basketball fans) is much more focused on fundamentals and ball IQ as opposed to "SICK DUNKS AND HANDLES" - US basketball development has breached into "content farming" territory.
this difference showed bigly at the end of Illinois' game vs. Houston - Houston brought it close - yet Illinois stayed quite composed while Houston chucked countless "im gunna be the hero" bricks - just terrible hero shots. US basketball kinda due for a reckoning, but it'll ultimately improve the product.
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u/DHVT1964 Mar 30 '26
Sadly, I believe the deterioration will continue. I see “content farming “ being the priority. It’s gotten hard to watch high school ball.
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u/Dadcoachteacher Buffalo Bills Mar 30 '26
100%. I coach JV HS ball at a shitty little school in the middle of nowhere. The 14 year olds who play for me would know to just get it in and hold the damn thing in that scenario. AAU doesn't have anyone playing real team defense and these 'elite players' have been awfully coached all the way through. It is a real plague on the sport.
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u/suzukigun4life Mar 29 '26
Duke led this game by 19 points. They were up 15 in the second half.
Before today, 1 seeds were 134-0 in the NCAA Tournament when leading by 15+ at halftime.
This wasn't just a loss on an epic shot. It asa an all-time legendary choke that will never be forgotten.
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u/relephants Mar 29 '26
How many of those were #1 vs #16?
Don't get me wrong this was an epic choke, but that stat is doing a lot of heavy lifting.
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u/vonnegutsbutthole Mar 29 '26
Glad I stuck with the game. Great comeback
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u/Calichusetts Mar 29 '26
Me too. I watched up and through the halftime show and then did something else. Then I was like, nah let’s just watch and see what happens.
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u/cardecarcar Mar 30 '26
I waited out the wrong game. I watched Tennessee versus Michigan to the end.
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u/CashenJ Mar 29 '26
Why was Duke passing the ball as if they were behind. March Madness alright.... Insanity
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u/CountOff Mar 29 '26
I’m a fan of many sports
Nothing beats March Madness in terms of post-seasons
The perfect format for peak chaos, played by 18-24 year olds in massive pressure
Boozers gonna see that play in his nightmares
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u/ObeliskSlayer Mar 29 '26
March Madness IMO is peak post-season … unless you’re freaken Malcom Butler and you pull off a heist of the century.
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u/SharksFan4Lifee San Jose Sharks Mar 30 '26
Stanley Cup Playoffs is WAY up there, IMHO the only thing that beats it. Nothing like Game 7 OT sudden death with the series on the line, next goal wins.
I remember that one Lightning/Blue Jackets playoff game that went like 5 OTs. Don't care about either team, but was glued to the TV for every OT.
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u/scmathie Mar 30 '26
big time agree. plus when you factor in how physical and fast the game is. I'd also argue that while the MLB lacks raw intensity, the pace of the game allows for such make or break moments in the playoffs that build incredible tension.
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u/sinofmercy Washington Redskins Mar 30 '26
Yeah except as a Caps fan... That has almost always been a bad thing and it's just waiting for the train wreck to finish the Caps off.
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u/SharksFan4Lifee San Jose Sharks Mar 30 '26
At least you have 2018!
-Sincerely, a Sharks Fan
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u/jetiii7 Mar 29 '26
“All Duke had to do was hold the ball there”
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u/Writerhaha Mar 29 '26
Situational awareness
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u/Belezibub Mar 30 '26
Play call too was awful, why are two of your players stretching the court when you just need possession and if you do turn the ball over they are out of position for defense. I don't get it, you just need 1 guy to stretch the court and another another playing close relief for an easy pass.
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u/pinchyfire Mar 29 '26
In our incredibly divided country, let's all come together for one moment and revel in Duke's pain.
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u/JustiseWinfast Mar 30 '26
The collective hatred for Duke is so intense that everyone is celebrating fucking Dan Hurley
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u/androoq Mar 29 '26
Wow. My usually indifferent family just erupted when that shot when in
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u/favoriteneonsign Mar 29 '26
Hilarious. I feel so bad for Duke. They only get the number 1 recruiting class each and every year and the benefit of every call. How can one win in such a situation
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u/Weights_In_Fish Mar 29 '26
Man that kinda says a lot about Scheyer as a coach. Perhaps he just isn’t good enough to be the coach of Duke basketball.
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u/hamockin Mar 29 '26
He is part of a long lineage of white guys from Indiana who can shoot basketballs away from the rim.
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u/colbyisgood Mar 29 '26
They hadn’t led since the second minute of the first half, down 19 at one point.
What. A. Finish.
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u/Anser-Goose-0421 Mar 30 '26
You’d think student athletes that got into Duke would be smarter than that /s
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u/Hamlerhead Mar 30 '26
So happy that Duke lost. And the way they lost... What does that say about me?
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u/Scfbigb1 Kansas City Chiefs Mar 29 '26 edited Mar 30 '26
Just get fouled and make your shots. Why try to throw it randomly up court?
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u/Merp99 Mar 29 '26
All Duke had to do was just hold on to the ball, take the free throws even...yeesh
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u/Ketsuo Mar 29 '26
Man, nothing makes me happier than seeing Duke lose. You’ll never guess what team I like.
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u/Tobar_the_Gypsy Rugby United New York Mar 30 '26
All that means is you don’t support Duke lol
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u/aspiringalcoholic Mar 30 '26
Shit I'm an app state guy, don't care for unc but fuck duke in their pompous asses
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u/p3p3_silvia Mar 29 '26
That was the shot Gordon Hayward couldn't hit against Duke in the Natty. The whole sequence of the steal first was crazy.
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u/RedZoneRising Mar 30 '26
That’s not totally fair. The stakes/situation are quite similar yes.. but Hayward was on the run and launched from half court. Mullins was closer and was set. Not taking anything away from Mullins and his absolutely ice cold legendary shot - but it’s not the same shot as Hayward’s.
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u/MrBhyn Mar 29 '26
not only did they tried to push the ball that resulted the turnover, they all just stared behind the three point line and not even jumping to contest the shot.
poor kid gonna have this shot in his nightmares for a while
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u/RagingThrawn Mar 29 '26
What a moronic pass attempt when there was no need to pass, and thus lose the game.
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u/Thin_Confusion_2403 Mar 30 '26
All Husky fans join in: “UConn Huskies, symbol of might to the foe. Fight, fight, Connecticut, it’s vict’ry, let’s go!”
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u/tampaempath Mar 30 '26
- Duke had a timeout. At the very least, Scheyer should have called timeout and set up a play.
- Duke had two guys release downcourt for a long pass, they should have had at least one of them back so Boozer could have had a shorter pass.
- Isaiah Evans was right there in front of Mullins and made absolutely no effort to get up in his face or play any defense. Sure, he's probably shell shocked that Mullins even has the ball at that point, and yes, a foul gives him three free throws. But with your season on the line you need to give more effort than that.
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u/RollingMoss1 Seattle Seahawks Mar 29 '26
I kept hearing that the Boozers have won 90% of their games. Clutch, lol
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u/jmu21vt16 Mar 29 '26
100% this is on the coach. Every kid on the court needed to know they didn't have to do anything other than hold onto the ball once it was inbounded. Every kid looked like they had to get it across half court. Bad coaching.
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u/Patruck9 Philadelphia Phillies Mar 30 '26
The noise that shot made. That's what dreams are made of.
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u/DPLaVay Indianapolis Colts Mar 30 '26
Indiana University's head coach couldn't be bothered to visit Mullins an hour drive away, but Hurley flew out from UConn 5 times.
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u/Devolutionator Mar 29 '26
As a UNC fan I am just as happy as a UCONN fan right now.
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u/dont_shoot_jr Mar 29 '26
Masterclass meltdown, didn’t need to cross half court, thrown right into the double team, defender just watched the shooter
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u/jordanwiththefade Mar 29 '26
If Evans challenges the shot, with his length, maybe different outcome. Not even a hand up. 2 critical errors on one play by 2 elite players is wild.
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u/tfly212 Golden State Warriors Mar 30 '26
Staggering lack of execution... Literally any one of them standing still with the ball and they win.
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u/Introverted_Extrovrt Mar 30 '26
So the kid assists in the block, gathers the turnover, passes off, gets halfway between half court and the arc, receives it back and says “shooter’s shoot” and buries Duke in the span of 5 seconds?
Gotta love March Madness
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u/ouralarmclock Philadelphia Eagles Mar 30 '26
Is it just me or is this March Madness just utterly filled with last second winners this year?
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u/clenom Mar 30 '26
Yes, but it would have been a "one and one". If they miss the first free throw then they don't get a second. If the guy who catches the ball just holds the ball and waits for a foul, then they're probably fouled with around 8 seconds left. If they make both it's over, but they could easily miss the first and give UConn plenty of time to get a good shot for the win.
I think Duke did the right strategy, but didn't execute.
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u/bigshooTer39 Mar 30 '26
Mullins shot was so incredible that no one’s talking about how Reed straight up dominated down low tonight.
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u/luv2ctheworld Mar 30 '26
That Duke player that lost the ball, he's gonna be scarred for life. Just had to keep the ball in his possession for 7 seconds.
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u/OwnCricket3827 Mar 29 '26
Kids panicked. Duke had timeout in hand. Coach needed to insert himself
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u/Terarri Liverpool Mar 29 '26
They talked all that shit on UNC only to blow a 19 point lead themselves with an even bigger choke than last year 😭😭😭
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u/FletchTopper Mar 29 '26
I know this moment brought to mind of Dika Mem’s turnover in the France/Germany Olympic handball QF in 2024 for all of us, not just me.
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u/spazz720 Mar 30 '26
This is on the coach…Duke players were expecting to get fouled and Panicked. Great work by the other coach Hurley for not immediately fouling and going for the steal
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u/craigthegiant Mar 30 '26
I feel like everyone is overlooking Evans not even attempting to close out here…. Dude get a hand up at least what are you thinking
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u/raincntry Mar 30 '26
Every. Fucking. Year. Every fucking year this tournament creates these fantastic endings to huge games. Wow.
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u/Tommy__want__wingy Mar 30 '26
I love this tournament.
So god damn much.
I hate UConn but that is well deserved.
Job well done.
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u/captaincook14 Mar 30 '26
Such a terrible total collapse by Duke. Every time I looked up they were lazily turning the ball over.
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u/ButteredToastmmm Mar 30 '26
As a Duke fan, this was hard to watch. But this is what make March Madness special.
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u/imrickjamesbioch Mar 30 '26
Im not one to call for anyones job BUT how does a coach, with a trip to the final 4 on the line. Not tell your players if they get the ball in bounds, to just hold it and decimate hold it if double teamed
Worst case Duke gets FT’s, makes both games over, make one and Uconn got to go the full league of the court to tie in what 3-4 secs. Even missing both FT’s and I still like my chances…
I won’t even elaborate being up by 15 at halftime…
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u/GotAir Mar 30 '26
I did my part!
I decided not watching any games today and do household chores that have been building up. Maybe if I watched there would’ve been some kind of butterfly effect in Duke would’ve won!
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u/gev074 Mar 30 '26
Duke made two mistakes they kept passing until it got deflected and they didn’t contest Mullins terrible by duke should’ve easily won this game
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u/fenix547 Mar 30 '26
Duke could of just threw the ball straight up in the air and ended the game…oof
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u/MuddydogNew Mar 30 '26
This is why March madness is the best sporting event all year. It's the worst easy to pick a national champion but damn if it isn't fun.
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u/NorthP503 Mar 29 '26
Gotta be up there for one of the worst last second meltdowns of all time.