The UConn Huskies have made it to the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. They played the Michigan State Spartans in the Sweet 16 round and won the game 67-63. Tarris Reed Jr. led the team with 20 points, five rebounds, and four assists.
The Duke Blue Devils, on the other hand, are coming off an 80-75 win in the Sweet 16 round against the St. John’s Red Storm. Cameron Boozer led the Blue Devils with 22 points and 10 rebounds while Caleb Foster made his much-awaited return.
Both teams have been mentioned among the strongest title contenders this season, and now it’s their time to meet, and only one of them will move forward. As strong as the Huskies are, can they beat the Blue Devils?
Surprisingly, the Huskies will go in as underdogs in this matchup. This is the first time in this entire season that UConn isn’t the favorite to win a game, as per FanDuel. The odds are in Duke’s favor ahead of the game.
As for the key matchups, Foster’s return after suffering a foot fracture will add stability to their backcourt playmaking. Duke has a very balanced team, and their playmaker-driven offense has been very successful this season.
They’ll be going against UConn’s strong defensive unit, which will make the game even more interesting. Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed Jr. will once again carry UConn’s scoring responsibility.
In comparison, Duke boasts Cameron Boozer’s reliable scoring and Isaiah Evans’ hot streak after his 25-point game against the Red Storm in the Sweet 16 matchup. Overall, there’s a lot to look forward to in this game.
Even though the Duke Blue Devils are going in as favorites, this has the potential to be a very exciting matchup.
Duke’s Jon Scheyer on Caleb Foster’s Return
In the last game of the regular season against North Carolina, Foster suffered a fractured foot and missed the entire ACC Tournament. He also missed the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament for Duke.
Foster’s return to the squad became an emotional moment for head coach Jon Scheyer.
“We’ve been through a lot together,” he said. “It’s harder to go through stuff now for all the reasons you guys know, transfer portal, all the different reasons. I think every step of the way, going back to when he committed to us, he was 16 years old, to think about being in these moments and how we got here.”
Scheyer said that most players wouldn’t have returned for the last stretch of the season after such a serious injury. Foster’s return is a testament to his commitment to Duke.
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