Early 2027 Bracket Projections Put Duke in Familiar Spot

As Duke fans everywhere know, the Blue Devils fell in the 2026 NCAA Tournament in the most crushing way possible.

The 1-seed Blue Devils were well on their way to getting back to their second consecutive Final Four, holding a 44-29 lead against 2-seed UConn at the halftime break. Before this contest, NCAA Tournament 1-seeds that held a lead of 15 or more points at half were 134-0.

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

Duke Let the Game Slip Away

For much of the second half, Jon Scheyer’s club was still in control. It held a 17-point lead with just over 17 minutes to go, an 11-point lead with under eight to go, and a five-point lead with two minutes left. Then, it all came crashing down.

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Duke held a 72-70 lead after Silas Demary knocked down a free throw with 10 seconds left. All Duke had to do was inbound it and wait to get fouled, but a colossal error cost the team its season.

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

Cayden Boozer attempted to float the ball over half court to Patrick Ngongba, but the ball was tipped into UConn’s favor. The basketball found the hands of freshman Braylon Mullins, who drilled a three from the logo to hand the Huskies a 73-72 victory.

Regardless, Duke has had an extremely successful offseason so far and has cemented its place in the national title contender discussion heading into the 2026-27 campaign.

Mar 21, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Patrick Ngongba (21) handles the ball against the Texas Christian…

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Publish date : 2026-04-23 11:30:00

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