Cameron Boozer Gives Emotional Farewell After Duke Collapse

Duke, the No. 1 overall seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, will be headed home earlier than it originally anticipated after one of the most stunning collapses in the history of college basketball.

The Blue Devils held a lead as big as 19 points on 2-seed UConn in the first half of the Elite Eight, and entered the halftime locker room with a 44-29 advantage. Then, it all came crashing down

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Dame Sarr (7) shoots the ball against the UConn Huskies in the first half during an Elite Eight 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

Slowly but surely, the Huskies crept back into the contest. Duke then threw the game away in the final few seconds.

UConn's Silas Demary knocked down a free throw to bring the score to 72-70. Duke was inbounding the ball and simply had to break the trap and get fouled. Cayden Boozer then made a panicked decision, attempting to float the ball over a defender's head into the hands of Patrick Ngongba.

OH MY GOODNESS 😱

UCONN LEADSSSS UNBELIEVABLE #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/IPX2JWiw0b
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 29, 2026

The ball was tipped back into UConn's favor, where Braylon Mullins caught it and drilled a three from the logo to hand the Huskies a 73-72 win.

This is now the second season in a row where the Blue Devils have fallen in heartbreaking fashion in the NCAA Tournament. Before Sunday night, 1-seeds in the Big Dance that have entered the halftime locker room with a lead of 15 or more points were 134-0.

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; UConn Huskies guard Malachi Smith (0) goes to the basket against Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) in the second half during an Elite Eight 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

Cameron Boozer Did All He Could

Duke star freshman and National Player of the Year Cameron Boozer attempted to seal the game on his own late, and he did just about everything he could. The 6'9" forward sank a couple of buckets to keep the edge to Duke, but none of it mattered in the end.

Boozer ended his collegiate career with 27 points, eight rebounds, and four assists against the Huskies. As a consensus top-three 2026 NBA Draft prospect, Boozer will be out after one season in Durham that ends in about as horrifying a way as it could have.

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) dribbles the ball past 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

Nonetheless, Boozer was one of the most dominant rookies college basketball has seen in recent memory. The Miami native tallied 22 double-doubles on the year while averaging 22.4 points, 10.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.4 steals a game on 55.9% shooting from the field and 39.6% shooting from the perimeter.

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) shoots the ball against the St. John's Red Storm 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

Boozer Bids Farewell to Blue Devils

Boozer took a hard elbow to the face against the Huskies and battled through the heavy hit to try to will Duke to a win and a trip to the Final Four.

Following the contest, Boozer shared his thoughts before he heads off to the NBA.

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) dribbles the ball against St. John's Red Storm forward Ruben Prey (17) 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

"I'm hurting right now. We're all hurting," Boozer said. "I wish I could've gave more for those guys."

The defeat is still fresh, but Sunday's collapse could be the worst loss in the history of Duke basketball.