***Official 2026 NCAA Tournament Thread***

UConn is in the Final Four for the first time since 2024 and the 8th time overall. They are 6-1 in the National Semifinals. They won the National Championship in their previous four Final Four appearances. UConn is 1-0 as a #2 seed in the National Semifinals.
 
This is a very average UConn team too, for Hurley standards at least. I wouldn't be surprised if Illinois beat them by double digits although Hurley teams never lay down so who knows.
 
Just hold the ball in the backcourt you dumb Dukies
That ended up being true. But in real time, I was thinking "man Duke is well coached to keep passing to prevent getting fouled until a couple seconds left".

Crazy ending. And a lot of cudos to Caraban for passing up a tough contested shot to give a teammate a deep but open shot.
 
According to a reddit poster, this was the first time (in 135 instances) that a #1 seed has lost a tourney game when leading by at least 15 points at halftime.
 
Hurley runs some crazy offensive sets. Karaban gets plenty of open looks and he’s like the same as Milan.
Was just thinking the same. He's pretty limited offensively but it seems like every few possessions he's shooting a wide-open three. We need some of that action!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Goclones1727
That ended up being true. But in real time, I was thinking "man Duke is well coached to keep passing to prevent getting fouled until a couple seconds left".

Crazy ending. And a lot of cudos to Caraban for passing up a tough contested shot to give a teammate a deep but open shot.
One way of looking at it, I thought UConn just chose not to foul right away thought they had a couple of chances, even on the pass on the turnover, they could have just fouled instead of trying to steal.

In a situation like that always felt the more passes you make the higher probability one of them could get tipped

You are up 2, 2 throws its over, hell 1 throw its probably over...

Duke over thought it. imho.
 
Exactly. What an idiot. No reason to even pass the ball.
Proof that if you can play basketball, there are no “entrance requirements” at Duke.
The wife and I worked in the RTP (NC) at IBM & Cisco back in the day. I’m a long time Duke hater, but she doesn’t involve herself in any sports/college rivalry stuff.

She said to me one day.

“Have you noticed a school whose alumni are like all universally unimpressive here?”

‘Duke?’

“Yes! Like it’s all of them!”
 
  • Like
Reactions: Challenger06