NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Duke freshman Cooper Flagg swooped across the paint and swatted an Alabama player’s shot completely off the court.
The ball landed in the stands. Flagg and the Blue Devils -- they’re headed to the Final Four.
Duke's long, tall, NBA-ready standouts smothered the Crimson Tide's nation-leading offense and even papered over Flagg’s rough shooting night to lift the Blue Devils to the program's 18th Final Four with an 85-65 victory Saturday night in the NCAA Tournament's East Region final.
Flagg made only 6 of 16 shots, including a brick that got stuck in the flange of the rim, but still finished with 16 points. Kon Knueppel, another potential lottery pick, led the Blue Devils with 21 points, and Tyrese Proctor — who came to the postgame news conference with the freshly cut net hanging from his neck — finished with 17.
But the most important stat: Alabama's offense, one coming off a record-setting night from 3 in the Sweet 16, failed to crack 70 points for only the second time this season.
The Crimson Tide's 35.4% shooting from the floor was their worst all season and their 25% from behind the arc (8 for 32) matched their fourth-worst showing of 2024-25.
To limit them to just 65 points is astounding," remarked Duke's coach Jon Scheyer. "We observed their performance the other evening; they racked up 113 points and hit 25 three-pointers. Our main focus was resisting the temptation to get too dispersed defensively.
Mark Sears, who fell just shy of a tournament record by scoring 10 three-pointers two nights prior, managed only one this time around. He scored just six points, which is his lowest tally since being scoreless during restricted playtime against LSU back in January.
"They have height scattered throughout their roster; take a look at their starting five," remarked Alabama coach Nate Oats when asked about his team's difficulties.
The number-one ranked Blue Devils (35-3) have now secured 15 consecutive victories. In the upcoming Final Four at San Antonio, they will face the team that wins the match between Houston and Tennessee scheduled for this Sunday.
Their victory eliminated any possibility of a solely Southeastern Conference presence at the Final Four, but with No. 1 Florida winning Earlier, it maintained the possibility of all four top seeds competing at the sport’s premier event for just the second time.
Khaman Maluach — known for his impressive 9-foot-8 standing reach — recorded 14 points, shooting an efficient 6-for-7 from the field. He also added two blocks and significantly impacted several additional shots by altering their trajectory against Alabama.
Despite their star player having an off night, Duke still managed to shoot 53.6%.
Flagg wasn't at all poor in this performance. He secured nine rebounds, provided three assists, and delivered an impressive block that sent Mouhammed Dioubate's shot soaring above the press row.
However, in a match where both teams aimed at neutralizing their opponents' top players, Duke executed this strategy more efficiently. They switched defensive assignments on Sears, tightly controlling the area around the basket and preventing him from finding space to operate.
Nearly 18 minutes into the game, the fifth-year senior finally scored their initial points with a 16-foot jumper from the free-throw line—an exact type of mid-range shot that Coach Oats' team of dunks and three-point shooters typically steers clear of.
Sears' initial three points were scored with 16:19 remaining in the game. His final statistics showed he made 2 out of 12 field goals overall and 1 out of 5 from beyond the arc. Additionally, he contributed six assists during the match.
“It was by committee,” Duke guard Sion James said. “We were switching a lot. We knew the biggest thing for him is showing him bodies, making sure whoever was guarding the ball is not on an island by himself.”
Labaron Philon led the second-seeded Crimson Tide (28-9) with 16 points. Not a single Alabama player made more shots than he missed.
Scheyer, leading the program to the Final Four for the first time since his predecessor Mike Krzyzewski’s last season in 2022, has up to six NBA prospects on his roster.
“Loose, confident, competitive and not fazed by this environment,” Scheyer said of his group of freshmen, led by the 18-year-old Flagg, who are trying to bring the first title back to Cameron Indoor Stadium since 2015.
Final Four firsts
The sole other instance of a Final Four with all top-seeded teams occurred in 2008, featuring Kansas, Memphis, UCLA, and North Carolina. This event took place in San Antonio.
Another title for Tide wheelchair team
It wasn’t a totally lost night for Tide fans. Shortly before tipoff, the Alabama women’s wheelchair hoops team beat Texas-Arlington 67-52 for its fifth straight national championship.
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