The top-seed Cougars are out of the NCAA tournament Friday after Duke upsets Houston. Thus, the 4th-seed Blue Devils will head to the Elite 8. Also, Houston is the second top seed to exit March Madness early.
When starting guard Jamal Shead exited the game due to an ankle injury, the Cougars did not begin well. The CBS telecast showed Duke teammates calming down benched player Shead as the game ended. Kyle Filipowski, a forward for the Blue Devils, played a game-high 16 points and grabbed nine boards.
Following Thursday’s Sweet 16 loss by No. 1 North Carolina to No. 4 Alabama, the Cougars became the second top seed to be eliminated early. According to PPH bookie sources, the other top seeds, Purdue and UConn, secured their place in the semifinals.
Duke Upsets Houston
Now in head coach Jon Scheyer’s first season at the helm, Duke will make its first trip in the Elite Eight since Mike Krzyzewski’s departure. After 42 years as head coach of the Duke Devils, Krzyzewski, fondly known as “Coach K,” resigned in 2022. As far as men’s Division I college basketball coaches are concerned, he has more victories than anybody else in club history.
According to basketball news reports, Duke is tied with Kansas for third all-time in program history with 24 appearances, behind only North Carolina (29 appearances) and Kentucky (38) in Elite Eight appearances. On Sunday in Dallas’s American Airlines Center, Duke will take on North Carolina State, a team ranked eleventh in the Atlantic Coach Conference.
Starting his second season as head coach, Scheyer reflected on the lessons he gained from Krzyzewski during his time as a player and assistant under him.
Are you a basketball bookie? To optimize your profits, it is vital to prepare your sportsbook for March Madness.
