The St. John’s Red Storm put the heat on the Duke Blue Devils in the Sweet 16, with the No. 1 team in the nation winning 80-75. Far tighter than Jon Scheyer would’ve liked. In the end, the Devils advanced on the back of strong performances by Cameron Boozer and Isaiah Evans, who scored 22 and 25 points each.
This confirms what almost everyone already knew. That Duke is one of the teams to beat this postseason. They have the third-best odds to win the Natty, behind Arizona and Michigan. They’re somewhat of the villains of the story, and at least according to Cameron Boozer, some in the media are cheering for their elimination since the start of the NCAA Tournament.
However, Boozer doesn’t seem to care about the media’s take on his team. In the aftermath of Friday’s victory, he had this to say about the situation:
“You can watch the media. Everyone wants us to lose. We go into Siena halftime they’re talking about I hope Duke gets upset. We played TCU they talking about, that’s a physical team we gonna get upset. Same thing with St. John’s. I think we just did a great job blocking out all the noise, focusing on what’s important.”
Jon Scheyer Praises Caleb Foster’s Performance in the Sweet 16 Round
Caleb Foster hadn’t played since March 7th, when he injured his right foot during Duke’s regular-season finale against North Carolina. The game against St. John’s was an impressive return for him, considering he had just recovered from such a crucial injury.
He contributed 11 points, three rebounds, and two assists to the team. In the game’s aftermath, coach Jon Scheyer couldn’t help but praise the gutsiness of his player for returning to the court so fast:
“He had no business playing today,” Scheyer said “He was determined, that was one of the most special performances I’ve ever seen.
“He was incredible, his will, just even in the huddles when he was going in — some big time plays too. But that was — that’s a leader right there and that’s a guy that came through when we needed him the most.”
Duke’s next game is this Sunday, when they take on Dan Hurley’s UConn Huskies in the Elite Eight round at 5:00 pm ET.
Read More:
Top 10 Richest Rosters in 2026 NCAA Tournament Ft. $20,000,000 Worth Kentucky
5 Devastating NCAAB Injuries That Ended Seasons Ahead of March Madness ft. Caleb Wilson
Carmelo Anthony’s Son Kiyan Breaks Silence on Getting Benched Against No. 18 Virginia
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in baseball, tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
