Duke's Scheyer Determined Following Elite Eight Heartbreak

The NCAA Tournament may be over, and the world of college basketball has shifted into offseason mode, but that doesn't mean the Duke basketball program and its fans have forgotten about the soul-crushing way the Blue Devils' 2025-26 season ended.

Duke struggled with injuries to Caleb Foster and Patrick Ngongba throughout the offseason, but it still looked like one of the best teams in the nation. And for the majority of its Elite Eight contest against 2-seed UConn, the 1-seed Blue Devils looked in full control.

Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer talks to a referee March 21, 2026 during the second half of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round East Region game with TCU at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Duke Ends Season in Heartbreak for Second Consecutive Year

Duke looked well on its way to cementing a second straight trip to the Final Four, holding a 44-29 lead over the Huskies heading into the halftime locker room. For a good portion of the second half, Scheyer and Co. also maintained control.

The Blue Devils held a 17-point lead with just over 17 minutes to go, an 11-point lead with under eight to play, and a five-point lead with under two to play. Then, in the final seconds, everything went in the opposite direction.

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Cayden Boozer (2) goes to the basket against UConn Huskies guard Malachi Smith (0) 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 held a 72-70 lead after Silas Demary Jr. hit one of two free throws. With 10 seconds to go, all the Blue Devils had to do was inbound the ball and wait to get fouled. It didn't go according to plan.

Following the inbound, the ball eventually found rookie Cayden Boozer, who attempted to float the ball over a UConn defender's arms into the hands of Ngongba, who was over half-court. The ball was tipped back into the Huskies' favor and eventually found the hands of freshman Braylon Mullins.

Duke Blue Devils center Patrick Ngongba (21) blocks the shot of TCU Horned Frogs forward Xavier Edmonds (24) March 21, 2026 during the second half of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round East Region game at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With just a few seconds to go, Mullins fired a heave from the logo, and it fell to give UConn a 73-72 victory.

Before the Blue Devils' collapse this year, 1-seeds in the NCAA Tournament that held a lead of 15 points or more at halftime were 134-0.

Jon Scheyer and the Duke bench watching Braylon Mullins' last-second heroics pic.twitter.com/rePQvtTlIB
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 30, 2026

Jon Scheyer Ready To Rebound

This is the second straight year the Blue Devils have collapsed deep in the NCAA Tournament, as they blew a 66-59 lead to Houston in the Final Four in the final minute and a half in 2025. Despite the heartbreak, Scheyer is ready to bounce back.

“I think we’ve proven we have a great recipe for success. Our blueprints working, the guys were going after. It’s just a matter of breaking through…. I can tell you this much, this is not slowing me down or slowing our team down or staff down. We’re going to continue to find a way," Scheyer said.

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

The Blue Devils have a ton to figure out in terms of which pieces will be back next season, but Duke certainly will have the roster makeup to rebound.

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