3 Ways Duke Can Take Down UConn in Elite Eight

The 1-seed Duke Blue Devils are headed back to the Elite Eight for the third consecutive season under head coach Jon Scheyer. The Blue Devils defeated 5-seed St. John's 80-75 in a thriller on Friday night to move on.

Duke had Caleb Foster and Patrick Ngongba back in the rotation after the pair had been out for the entirety of the postseason with foot injuries, and even though both are less than 100%, the Blue Devils are clearly on another level on both sides of the ball.

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Caleb Foster (1) dribbles the ball past St. John's Red Storm forward Dillon Mitchell (1) in the second half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Duke will take on 2-seed UConn for a spot in the Final Four, as the Huskies defeated 3-seed Michigan State 67-63 to advance.

Let's take a look at three ways the Blue Devils can take down Dan Hurley's Huskies in the Elite Eight.

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Jaxon Kohler (0) grabs a rebound on UConn Huskies forward Tarris Reed Jr. (5) in the second half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Limit Tarris Reed

UConn big man Tarris Reed has been one of the most dominant players thus far through the NCAA Tournament. It began with a 31-point, 27-rebound performance in the Round of 64 against 15-seed Furman.

Through UConn's three tournament contests, Reed is averaging 20.3 points, 15.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.7 blocks a night on 59% shooting from the field.

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA;UConn Huskies forward Tarris Reed Jr. (5) dunks the ball against the Michigan State Spartans in the second half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

The senior's game isn't super flashy, but at 6'11" and 265 pounds, he's essentially an immovable object down low. Ngongba and Maliq Brown will have a tall task containing Reed, and for a Duke team that thrives in the paint, holding him to an average night will be a big key.

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; UConn Huskies forward Alex Karaban (11) grabs a rebound against Michigan State Spartans forward Cameron Ward (3) in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Limit Alex Karaban

The fifth-year senior has won two national titles with the Huskies and has been on a tear thus far through the Big Dance, averaging 22.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.0 blocks on 54.5% shooting from the floor and 44% shooting from three on 25 attempts.

Karaban impacts the game in so many different ways and is the heart and soul of this UConn club. He's a fantastic cutter, a lethal outside shooter, and a versatile defender at 6'8".

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; UConn Huskies forward Alex Karaban (11) in the second half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Reed and Karaban have been the catalysts for UConn offensively thus far, and limiting the pair likely means a victory.

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Maliq Brown (6) shoots the ball against St. John's Red Storm forward Zuby Ejiofor (24) in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Win the Free Throw Line

Against a physical St. John's club, it was clear that the free-throw line would pay dividends. The Blue Devils dominated in the attempts department, but the inability to knock a high clip down almost cost them their season.

Duke went 15-of-24 (63%) from the charity stripe compared to the Red Storm's 4-of-8 (50%) clip. However, this UConn club is vulnerable in terms of giving up attempts at the line, and Duke will need to hit them at a high clip in another physical matchup.

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; St. John's Red Storm guard Dylan Darling (0) dribbles the ball past Duke Blue Devils guard Dame Sarr (7) in the second half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

The Huskies rank sixth in the Big East in total free-throw attempts (653) and seventh in free-throw percentage (72.0). UConn has also allowed the most free-throw attempts to its opponents of any team in the Big East (805).

Duke leads the ACC in free throw attempts (818) and makes (596).