Duke earns program's 18th Final Four appearance: Blue Devils smother high-flying Crimson Tide in Elite Eight

The No. 1 seed Blue Devils impressed in their dominant win over No. 2 seed Alabama

Duke is heading to the Final Four for the first time under coach Jon Scheyer after beating Alabama 85-65 in the Elite Eight on Saturday. The No. 1 seed Blue Devils put the clamps on the No. 2 seed Crimson Tide's prolific offense while earning their 15th consecutive victory.

Just two days after draining an NCAA Tournament record 25 3-pointers in a Sweet 16 victory over BYU, Alabama hit just 8 of 32 from beyond the arc against the Blue Devils. Duke's size and athleticism gave the Crimson Tide and their smaller contingent of guards fits.

The rim-protecting prowess of 7-foot-2 freshman center Khaman Maluach was particularly impactful for the Blue Devils, who led by at least seven for the second half. Maluach finished with just two blocks, but regularly impacted Alabama's drives to the rim when Duke ran the Crimson Tide off the 3-point line.

With All-American guard Mark Sears struggling, the Crimson Tide could find no consistent source of offense. Sears finished 2 of 12 with six points and five turnovers. Kon Knueppel led Duke with 21 points while Cooper Flagg contributed 16 and Tyrese Proctor finished with 17. Maluach also made a huge impact offensively with 14 points on 6 of 7 shooting.

Quick hitters

• Duke: 22nd win by 20-plus points this season (tied for fifth-most in D-I in past 70 years)
• Duke: Largest win (20) in Elite Eight game since 1999
• Duke: Four players with 14-plus pts in Elite Eight game for first time since 1978 vs. Villanova (Spanarkel, Gminski, Banks, Dennard)

• Duke: most points per game (91.8) and highest field goal percentage (56.2%) through four NCAA Tournament games since 2008 North Carolina

• Alabama: Llost 2 games by 20-plus points this season, both in postseason (lost 104-82 vs Florida in SEC Tournament).
• Alabama made it a seven-point game with 8:03 remaining. Duke responded with a 13-0 run to take a 20-point lead.
• Jon Scheyer is the eighth person to ever play and coach in a Final Four (Vic Bubas, Hubert Davis, Billy Donovan, Dick Harp, Bob Knight, Bones McKinney and Dean Smith)
• Scheyer is only the third person to play and coach in the Final Four for the same school (Hubert Davis/North Carolina, Dick Harp/Kansas)

[Mar 29, 2025 at 11:33 pm ET · David Cobb]

Tyrese Proctor produces again

Tyrese Proctor flew under the radar for much of the season as the hype around Duke centered on Cooper Flagg and the rest of the Blue Devils' talented freshman class. But Proctor proved his immense worth yet again Saturday with another huge game. Proctor finished with 17 points on 7 of 10 shooting to continue his recent run of big performances. The only returning starter on the team and only third-year scholarship player on the Duke roster scored 19 in the ACC Tournament title game and averaged 22 points per game during the NCAA Tournament's first weekend. He has elevated his game this season and that was on display again against the Crimson Tide.

[Mar 29, 2025 at 11:33 pm ET · David Cobb]

A breakthrough for Jon Scheyer

Duke has progressed further in the NCAA Tournament each season under third-year coach Jon Scheyer. The 37-year old former Blue Devils star was tasked with replacing the legendary Mike Krzyzewski, and Saturday's win once again validated Duke's faith in him. It was clear immediately the Blue Devils would remain a recruiting power under Scheyer's direction. Less apparent was whether the first-time head coach would be able to unlock that talent in critical moments. Scheyer's schematic aptitude was on display all season, but the Blue Devils were rarely challenged in the ACC. After getting pushed by both Arizona and Alabama in the second weekend of the Big Dance, they rose to the occasion. So much of a college basketball coach's reputation is staked on what they accomplish in March. The job isn't done for Duke, but Scheyer has proven once again that he's a big-time coach.

[Mar 29, 2025 at 11:33 pm ET · David Cobb]

Alabama goes cold

Alabama will finish the season 2-3 when shooting 25% or worse from 3-point range. While the Crimson Tide's 8 of 32 clip from beyond the arc could be chalked up to a cold shooting performance, credit should also go to Duke. The Blue Devils' length and athleticism bothered Alabama all game and kept the Crimson Tide's guards from getting clean looks. Reserve big man Aidan Sherrell provided a brief lift early in the first half by making his first two 3-pointers. But when he cooled off and Duke center Khaman Maluach was able to safely camp out in the lane, it changed the game's complexion. Maluach's rim protection allowed the Blue Devils to safely blitz Bama's shooters, which kept the Crimson Tide from getting quality shots.

[Mar 29, 2025 at 11:15 pm ET · David Cobb]

Duke is headed to the Final Four

(1) Duke 85, (2) Alabama 65

Duke is heading to the Final Four for the first time under coach Jon Scheyer after beating Alabama 85-65 in the Elite Eight on Saturday. The No. 1 seed Blue Devils put the clamps on the No. 2 seed Crimson Tide's prolific offense while earning their 15th consecutive victory.

Just two days after draining an NCAA Tournament record 25 3-pointers in a Sweet 16 victory over BYU, Alabama hit just 8 of 32 from beyond the arc against the Blue Devils. Duke's size and athleticism gave the Crimson Tide and their smaller contingent of guards fits.

The rim-protecting prowess of 7-foot-2 freshman center Khaman Maluach was particularly impactful for the Blue Devils, who led by at least seven for the second half. Maluach finished with just two blocks, but regularly impacted Alabama's drives to the rim when Duke ran the Crimson Tide off the 3-point line.

With All-American guard Mark Sears struggling, the Crimson Tide could find no consistent source of offense. Sears finished 2 of 12 with six points and five turnovers. Kon Knueppel led Duke with 21 points while Cooper Flagg contributed 16 and Tyrese Proctor finished with 17. Maluach also made a huge impact offensively with 14 points on 6 of 7 shooting.

[Mar 29, 2025 at 10:58 pm ET · David Cobb]

Duke on the verge

3:57 2H: Duke 72, Alabama 58

Duke is on the cusp of reaching the Final Four. The Blue Devils have stifled everything the Crimson Tide have tried to do offensively. Alabama is down to 33.9% shooting for the game and 25% for the half. It hasn't been an offensive masterclass from the Blue Devils, but it's hardly mattered because of how dominant they've been on the other end.

[Mar 29, 2025 at 10:47 pm ET · David Cobb]

Khaman Maluach dominating

6:39 2H: Duke 69, Alabama 58

Khaman Maluach has 12 points, five rebounds and two blocks. But it's not the counting stats that have made him the most impactful player on the floor in this game. Rather, it's his defensive presence underneath the basket. He continues to alter shots and make the Crimson Tide think twice about attacking the basket. The 7-foot-2 freshman deserves a ton of the credit for why Alabama is shooting just 36.4%.

[Mar 29, 2025 at 10:33 pm ET · David Cobb]

Alabama struggling to connect

11:50 2H: Duke 59, Alabama 48

Alabama had a couple of 3-point looks that could have cut the deficit to just five points. However the Crimson Tide remain cold from deep (7 of 26) at the under-12 media timeout. Duke is off to a slow start offensively in the second half as well, and fouls are beginning to mount for both teams. Something to watch: Cooper Flagg is just 4 of 14 from the field and has made 1 of his past 9 shots.

[Mar 29, 2025 at 10:19 pm ET · David Cobb]

Alabama gets a big lift from Grant Nelson

15:38 2H: Duke 52, Alabama 45

Alabama's Grant Nelson just came up one with one of the best blocks you'll see in this NCAA Tournament as Cooper Flagg soared toward the basket for a transition dunk attempt. It led to a 3-pointer on the other end from the Crimson Tide, who have come out of the break with some energy. If Alabama is able to rally, bookmark that sequence. A highlight-reel defensive play leading to some major momentum. 

[Mar 29, 2025 at 10:06 pm ET · David Cobb]

Second half keys

If Alabama is going to make a run in the second half, it will likely need more from Mark Sears. The All-American had four assists in the first half but just two points as he went 1 for 4 from the floor. Duke's size and length on the perimeter is a problem, not just for Sears, but for all of Alabama's smaller guards. As for the Blue Devils, they'd be well-served to hunt for the right look on offense. With so many mismatches against Alabama's undersized backcourt, there's a good look to be found on every trip with a bit of patience.

[Mar 29, 2025 at 9:53 pm ET · David Cobb]

Duke in control at half

HALF: (1) Duke 46, (2) Alabama 37

Duke shot 56.3% in the first half and got 11 points from Kon Knueppel as it established control against an explosive Alabama team. The Crimson Tide hit just 5 of 19 from 3-point range after drilling an NCAA Tournament record 25 from beyond the arc in their Sweet 16 win over BYU. However, Bama remains within striking distance after finding some success with Grant Nelson attacking the basket late in the half.

[Mar 29, 2025 at 9:44 pm ET · David Cobb]

Duke's efficiency standing out

2:42 1H: Duke 40, Alabama 31

Alabama has started figuring out how to find Grant Nelson slipping to the basket when Duke attacks the Crimson Tide on the perimeter. But the Blue Devils remain ruthlessly efficient offensively, which is making it tough for the Crimson Tide to make headway. Caleb Foster just hit a big 3-pointer for the Blue Devils to stop a 7-0 Bama run.

[Mar 29, 2025 at 9:34 pm ET · David Cobb]

Kon Knueppel is shining

6:46 1H: Duke 35, Alabama 22

Kon Knueppel is taking advantage of Alabama's smaller guards and using his size on the block and in transition to attack the basket. The freshman has a game-high 11 points on 4 of 7 shooting to go with a pair of steals. This is proving to be a rough matchup for the likes of Aden Holloway, Mark Sears and Labaron Philon, each of whom are giving up height and weight against the 6-7 Knueppel.

[Mar 29, 2025 at 9:28 pm ET · David Cobb]

Mark Sears having trouble

7:57 1H: Duke 30, Alabama 22

Alabama star Mark Sears is having some trouble with Duke's defensive length early in this game. The Blue Devils are running Alabama off the 3-point line but recovering well. On a couple of possessions, Sears has found his way into the paint, only to get swallowed up by the defense. He's 0 for 2 with three turnovers.

[Mar 29, 2025 at 9:18 pm ET · David Cobb]

Alabama finds its footing

11:17 1H: Duke 23, Alabama 17

Aidan Sherrell hit multiple 3-pointers in a game just three times all season entering the Elite Eight. But the 6-10 freshman canned his first two looks from beyond the arc after checking in for Cliff Omoruyi following the first media timeout. If he can draw Duke rim protector Khaman Maluach away from the basket, it could open things up for Alabama. Sherrell is just a 31.6% 3-point shooter for the season. Cooper Flagg has two early turnovers for Duke.

[Mar 29, 2025 at 9:07 pm ET · David Cobb]

Strong start for Duke

15:53 1H: Duke 13, Alabama 5

Duke came ready to play. The Blue Devils drilled their first three 3-pointers, with Cooper Flagg leading off the action on the game's opening possession. Tyrese Proctor and Kon Knueppel have also hit 3s in the opening minutes as the Crimson Tide try to find their bearings. Grant Nelson has drawn the assignment of guarding Flagg for Bama, which has committed three quick turnovers.

[Mar 29, 2025 at 8:55 pm ET · Isaac Trotter]

Duke vs. Alabama scouting report

BYU tried and failed to beat Alabama at its own game. Duke is not going to fall into that trap. The barrage of unguarded 3s that Alabama got to take in the Sweet 16 will not be there against a Duke team that has big guards who can also move laterally extremely well. Duke has allowed double-digit unguarded catch-and-shoot 3s just five times this year. Tyrese Proctor or Sion James are going to be draped on Mark Sears like white on rice from the opening tip.

Full scouting report and pick 👇

March Madness arrives at historic Elite Eight: Picks, scouting reports for each game with Final Four at stake

Isaac Trotter

[Mar 29, 2025 at 8:40 pm ET · David Cobb]

Maliq Brown's injury

Duke forward Maliq Brown played a limited role in the Blue Devils' Sweet 16 win over Alabama as he made his return from a shoulder injury. Here's what coach Jon Scheyer had to say about Brown's situation:

"Yeah, I mean, I think it speaks a lot about who Maliq is and what he's all about. Look, he's not 100 percent. He's not close to it. And ideally he wouldn't have played in last night's game. It was more in an emergency. All of a sudden Khaman got two fouls and Pat got two fouls. I thought he did some really good things in his minutes. We're going to have him ready to go in the next game. He's been a key guy for us all year-round. What he does for us, he doesn't necessarily shoot a lot, so it's about his health and physical readiness, and he just wanted to give it a shot for us, and I think that says a lot. We want to protect him at the same time, and you're balancing when he's fully ready with also the time is running out for the season.

"So that's been a balancing act for me, to be honest. It's been something we've struggled with. But the fact that his mindset is to do whatever to help us win, I think is an incredible thing as a coach to have a guy that thinks that way."

[Mar 29, 2025 at 8:30 pm ET · Matt Norlander]

'A war:' No. 1 Duke vs. No. 2 Alabama

We rarely get a regional final with two teams this good on offense. Alabama hit 113 points vs. BYU in this building on Thursday; Duke ticked exactly 100 in beating Arizona. The potential for potent offense and powerful performances is palpable from a pair of programs that were ranked high in the preseason (Bama No. 2, Duke No. 7) and have stayed steady for the most part over the past four-plus months.

'A war:' No. 1 Duke vs. No. 2 Alabama among best Elite Eight matchups we've had in NCAA Tournament history

Matt Norlander

[Mar 29, 2025 at 8:20 pm ET · David Cobb]

The rise of Nate Oats

ROMULUS, Mich. — There is no Nate Oats Gymnasium or Nate Oats Hall of Fame. The school isn't located on Nate Oats Parkway, and the legacy of basketball success at Romulus High School transcends Oats' 11 years as the coach here.

But if you know where to look inside this school located just around the corner from the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, you can see the legacy Oats left behind and the footsteps of his unlikely journey to the Final Four.

Now in his sixth season leading Alabama, Oats is one of the biggest names in college basketball.

Story from last year profiling the rise of a college basketball coaching star

Nate Oats was a high school coach when meeting Dan Hurley led to job as assistant to start path to Final Four

David Cobb

[Mar 29, 2025 at 8:00 pm ET · David Cobb]

Can Alabama replicate 3-point barrage?

Alabama broke the all-time record for most 3-pointers in an NCAA Tournament game as the No. 2 seed Crimson Tide flew past No. 6 seed BYU in a record-setting 113-88 victory. Bama rang up 25 triples on 51 attempts, led by a 10 of 16 clip from star guard Mark Sears. As CBS Sports' Matt Norlander wrote from the Prudential Center in Newark, the 3-pointers "came down like meteorites, one after another after another." The previous record of 21 made 3-pointers set by Loyola Marymount in 1990 stood for 35 years until the Crimson Tide obliterated it with over seven minutes left.

[Mar 29, 2025 at 7:45 pm ET · David Cobb]

Duke coming off a test

No. 1 seed Duke has so rarely been tested by quality opposition in recent months that it was fair to wonder how the Blue Devils would respond when put in a pressure situation during the NCAA Tournament. But in a 100-93 Sweet 16 win over No. 4 seed Arizona, freshman phenom Cooper Flagg showed everyone why he's considered a lock to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The Wildcats mounted a second-half charge to infuse the Sweet 16 battle with some drama, but Flagg's multi-faceted brilliance won the day. The versatile forward finished with 30 points, seven assists and six rebounds. He also blocked three shots and had a steal while bringing the Blue Devils within one victory of reaching the Final Four.

[Mar 29, 2025 at 7:30 pm ET · Matt Norlander]

How Alabama got here

NEWARK, N.J. -- What's so glorious about sport is how frequently it gives us something that seems so rare, it feels sent from another dimension. As if it could never happen again.

What transpired at the Prudential Center on Thursday night surely applies.

Who knows how long it will take, if ever, for the world to witness something equal to or better than what the second-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide accomplished here. Nate Oats' sniper-minded squad sank an NCAA Tournament-record 25 3-pointers against No. 6 seed BYU en route to a record-setting and program-defining 113-88 win in the East Regional semifinals. 

Alabama's historic, record-setting offensive explosion puts Tide on course for national title contention

Matt Norlander

[Mar 29, 2025 at 7:00 pm ET · Matt Norlander]

How Duke got here

NEWARK, N.J. — What spectacle this city took in Thursday night, a pair of regional-semifinal rarities that boosted the "wow" factor of a 2025 bracket owned by the big boys.

In absence of Cinderella, give us the scintillating.

In the early tip, Alabama put on one of the best offensive outputs this glorious NCAA Tournament has ever staged, with 25 3-pointers on 51 attempts and 113 points against BYU. The singed nets took on even more heat in the nightcap: Duke vs. Arizona. Cooper Flagg and Caleb Love. The matchup meant either Flagg (a freshman) or Love (a fifth-year senior) would walk off the floor for the final time as a college player.

Cooper Flagg's best game yet coincides with Caleb Love's gritty college finale in epic NCAA Tournament moment

Matt Norlander