Dan Hurley Thanked for Crushing Duke's Hearts

As Duke fans everywhere have now seen, the 1-seed Duke Blue Devils suffered arguably the biggest collapse in the history of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday night. After holding a lead as large as 19 points in the first half and entering the halftime locker room up by 15 points, the Blue Devils crumbled to fall 73-72.

It always felt like Dan Hurley's Huskies would make some sort of push, but no one could have imagined that would be the way the game played out. Head coach Jon Scheyer, for better or for worse, will now have the "collapse" tag on him until he wins a National Championship, as this is the second season in a row the Blue Devils have fallen in heartbreaking fashion.

Mar 26, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer stands on the court during a practice session ahead 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 Collapses in NCAA Tournament for Second Straight Year

In 2025, Duke held a 66-59 lead on 1-seed Houston with under a minute and a half to go, inches away from the Blue Devils' first national title game appearance since 2015. Then, it all came crashing down.

Duke was outscored 11-1 over the final minute and change, losing 70-67. Before that crumble, NCAA Tournament teams that had a higher field goal percentage, more assists, more steals, more free throw attempts, and fewer turnovers than their opponents were 335-0.

Apr 5, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) walks off the court after losing to the Houston Cougars in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

It was more of the same in 2026. Previously, 1-seeds in the NCAA Tournament that held leads of 15 points or more heading into halftime were 134-0. The Blue Devils were up 44-29 on the Huskies at the break.

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley talks to a referee against the Duke Blue Devils 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: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Dan Hurley Praised for Ending Duke's Season

Hurley made an appearance on Barstool Sports' "Pardon My Take," and got some love for taking down the Blue Devils in crushing fashion.

"Thank you for beating Duke," Dan Katz said. "I appreciate it, I barely slept last night. I watched every highlight a thousand times, so I appreciate it."

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley celebrates after a play against the Duke Blue Devils 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: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

"It was a good moment for America," Eric Sollenberger added. "..It was great to see the nation unite around one thing we could all believe in."

Unfortunately, being a Duke fan comes with that downside when the Blue Devils lose. Year in and year out, Duke is consistently one of the best teams in college basketball, simultaneously making it one of the most hated.

Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer reacts in the first half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Duke fans love it when the Blue Devils are winning, but after hard times like the 2026 Elite Eight, most want to go into hiding and never come out.