Duke, UConn on Tier No Other Program Can Reach

It hasn’t been all that long since Dan Hurley’s 2-seeded UConn Huskies shattered the hearts of Duke fans everywhere after defeating the 1-seeded Blue Devils 73-72 in the 2026 Elite Eight.

However, what these two programs are both doing, which no other program in the sport has been able to accomplish, is continue to operate at a blue-blood level through this rapidly changing landscape of college basketball.

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer looks on from the bench against the UConn Huskies 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

In this new era, dominated by NIL and the transfer portal, blue bloods are, for all intents and purposes, a thing of the past. In essence, it comes down to which programs can generate the most money to pay their players.

Apr 6, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Connecticut Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts against the Michigan Wolverines in the second half during the national championship of the Final Four of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Duke and UConn Continuing To Dominate

The Blue Devils and Huskies are the only two programs in the sport that have not missed a beat or taken a step back since the portal era began. UConn has been the most dominant program in the country over the last several seasons, making three Final Fours and winning two National Championships over the last four seasons.

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Duke has earned a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two years, reaching the Elite Eight in 2026 and the Final Four in 2025. The Blue Devils have also had the National Player of the Year on their roster (Cameron Boozer in 2026 and Cooper Flagg in 2025) in each of the last two years.

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) talks to Blue Devils center…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/duke-uconn-tier-no-other-160005396.html

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Publish date : 2026-05-05 16:00:00

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