There’s no love loss between Duke and Kentucky and there probably never will be. The Cats were sent home by Tennessee, and had to endure the roasting on social media of that. Now its BBN’s turn to roast a rival, see the best tweets inside.
For Kentucky fans, there are few things sweeter than March Madness glory — except maybe a Duke disaster.
And on Saturday night, Big Blue Nation had themselves a feast.
Houston’s 15-3 run to close out a 70-67 win over Duke in the Elite Eight wasn’t just a comeback. It was poetic. A meltdown for the ages. A masterclass in defensive pressure and clutch shot-making. It was also a prime opportunity for Kentucky fans to watch a Blue Devil lead slip through their fingers like a missed free throw in Rupp Arena.
With 3:03 left, Duke led by nine. Cooper Flagg, the phenom freshman, had just buried a three-pointer. The Blue Devils looked poised, controlled, and just 180 seconds away from a national title game appearance.
Then came the unraveling.
Houston crashed the glass like their lives depended on it. Emanuel Sharp, who had struggled for much of the night, caught fire. The Cougars snagged offensive boards, stole inbounds passes, and buried free throws with ice in their veins.
The sequence was pure chaos:
A missed three from Duke.
Three consecutive Houston offensive rebounds.
A block by Flagg — followed by yet another offensive board.
A layup, a steal, more free throws.
A tip-in dunk by Joseph Tugler.
Then, with 19 seconds left, J’Wan Roberts calmly hit two free throws to give Houston the lead.
Duke? They had one timeout, a missed jumper from Flagg, and a turnaround 3 from mid court, there’d be no Laettner moment this time.
On social media, Kentucky fans celebrated with the energy of a home win.
“I have literally never been more shocked. Duke was that good throughout this tourney until those final few minutes. Oh my god. This is bliss.”
“Houston prevented a Tennessee Final Four and a Duke National Championship. Today, we are all Cougars.”
Jon Rothstein even compared the moment to Wisconsin’s 2015 collapse in the national title game — the same one that handed Duke a banner. Oh, how the tables have turned.
Former Blue Devil Jay Williams posted simply:
“I’m sick right now…”
For Kentucky fans, the postseason had its share of heartbreak. But watching Duke go down — in spectacular, painful, can’t-look-away fashion — offered a glimmer of joy.
And it sets the stage for a new blue blood showdown: Florida vs. Houston for the national championship. Houston beat Tennessee and now they have taken down Duke, 2 of the 3 biggest rivals the Cats have, can they make it a third?
In a season where expectations were unpredictable and narratives flipped weekly, one thing remains constant: schadenfreude is alive and well in college hoops.
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