Coach K on Duke Collapse: ‘I Could Not Sleep’

The 1-seed Duke Blue Devils are dealing with unimaginable emotional hurt right now after undergoing arguably the most stunning collapse in the history of college basketball. The Blue Devils surrendered a lead as large as 19 points on 2-seed UConn in the Elite Eight, losing in heartbreaking fashion in the final seconds.

Duke generated a lead as large as 19 points in the first half and entered the halftime locker room with a 44-29 lead. Before Sunday night, 1-seeds in the NCAA Tournament were 134-0 when leading by 15 or more at the break.

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer reacts 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

As most fans have seen by now, it was one miscue by freshman Cayden Boozer that cost the Blue Devils a second straight trip to the Final Four.

Duke had to inbound the ball and simply wait to get fouled, but Boozer tried to float a pass to Patrick Ngongba over half-court. The ball was tipped and eventually found Braylon Mullins, who nailed a three-pointer from the logo to give the Huskies a 73-72 lead and the eventual victory.

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Cayden Boozer (2) dribbles the ball against the St. John's Red Storm 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

It's arguably the biggest collapse in the history of the NCAA Tournament, and Duke has now committed two of the sort in two consecutive tournaments.

Nov 23, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Howard Bison head coach Kenneth Blakeney (center) who also played at Duke is awarded a ball by Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer (left) and former head coach Mike Krzyzewski prior to a game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Coach K Felt Emotional Pain After Duke Collapse

In his 42 seasons as Duke's head coach, Mike Krzyzewski dealt with his fair share of brutal losses. However, there likely wasn't one that reached the level of the 2026 Blue Devils in the Elite Eight, and even Krzyzewski himself might agree with that.

Coach K appeared on the Pat McAfee Show after the stunning defeat and shared how even he was having trouble dealing with the loss.

Nov 11, 2025; West Point, New York, USA; Former Duke Blue Devils and Army head coach Mike Krzyzewski watches a game between the Army Black Knights and Duke Blue Devils at Christl Arena. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images | Danny Wild-Imagn Images

"I haven't coached for four years now, but...I could not fall asleep last night," Krzyzewski said. "I felt like I was part of that."

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) goes to the basket against UConn Huskies forward Jayden Ross (23) 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

Duke Fans Everywhere Are Feeling the Pain

Krzyzewski just spoke for most die-hard Blue Devil fans around the nation in saying that the loss almost didn't feel real. A 15-point lead at half. A 17-point lead with just over 17 minutes to play. An 11-point lead with under eight to play. A five-point lead with under two to play. Still, it resulted in a horrible Duke loss.

UConn held two leads during the entirety of the 40 minutes: 2-0 and 73-72. It's one of the wildest games in the history of the NCAA Tournament, and that ending will live in infamy in the world of college basketball for decades to come.