How North Carolina Fans Should Feel About Duke Collapse

The North Carolina Tar Heels have been a non-factor in the NCAA tournament ever since losing in the first round against the VCU Rams, which led to Hubert Davis being fired last week.

However, North Carolina fans had plenty to cheer about on Sunday, as the Duke Blue Devils suffered a 73-72 defeat against the Connecticut Huskies in the Elite Eight. Duke appeared to be coasting to a comfortable win, but the Huskies did not let up in the second half.

The one play that will be remembered from this game is Cayden Boozer's unfathomable turnover with just over four seconds remaining, which led to freshman Braylon Mullins hitting the game-winning three-point shot with less than a second remaining.

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer looks on 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: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

With all of that being said, here is why North Carolina fans should be ecstatic about this result on Sunday.

It’s Duke, Tar Heels’ Supporters Don’t Want To See Their Success

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; UConn Huskies guard Solo Ball (1) scores against Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) and is fouled 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

While North Carolina has either missed the NCAA Tournament entirely or been eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in three of the last five years, the Blue Devils have been elite since Jon Scheyer took over as the head coach in 2022.

Duke was striving to reach back-to-back Final Fours, which would have been another unpleasant reminder of how far North Carolina has fallen behind its top rival. While the Tar Heels are still lightyears behind the Blue Devils, Sunday's result provides some level of peace for North Carolina fans, who have been forced to watch Duke win game after game.

Duke Also Blew a Second-Half Lead

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; UConn Huskies guard Braylon Mullins (24) celebrates after making the game-winning three-point basket 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's been well-documented that the Tar Heels coughed up a 19-point lead in the second half against VCU, which was the final nail in the coffin for Davis' five-year tenure in Chapel Hill. Similar to North Carolina, the Blue Devils surrendered a 17-point lead in the second half against Connecticut.

At one point, the Huskies were 1-of-18 from three-point range, which led to head coach Dan Hurley being speechless during his postgame press conference when a reporter brought up the glaring statistic. Nevertheless, Duke was in the driver's seat and was well on its way to another Final Four appearance.

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley cuts down the net after defeating the Duke Blue Devils in 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

Even though the Blue Devils allowed the game to reach an uncomfortable stage, they were still in a position to close out the game in the waning seconds. If Boozer just held onto the ball and forced Connecticut to foul, there is a good chance he seals the game at the free-throw line with two made attempts. Obviously, that was not the case, and North Carolina is not the only blue blood program to blow a substantial double-digit lead in the second half of an NCAA Tournament game this year.