We recap the regionals, and we start off in the East Region which gave us one of the most exciting finishes in the history of the NCAA Tournament as UConn hit a shot from the parking lot to knock out Duke and advance to the Final Four. Michigan blew past Tennessee in the Midwest, Arizona got past Arkansas and Purdue to win the West and get to their first Final Four since 2001, and Illinois won decisively against Houston and then held off Iowa to win the South. We discuss all that, hear first hand accounts from those who were there, and look ahead to the Final Four.
And for all you radio lovers, below is an audio only version of the show…
Here are some the best photos I took during the UConn postgame celebration on Sunday:
I saw plenty of former players in attendance when the Huskies beat Purdue in the 2024 NCAA title game in Glendale, AZ, but apparently they show up for the Elite 8 as well as 2006 UConn All-American Rudy Gay (left) and 2024 UConn national champ Cam Spencer (right) made their way down to the court to celebrate with the current roster:
The players were beseiged by the media looking for a sensational sound bite after 1 of the most exciting finishes in the history of the Elite 8:
Then it was time to celebrate by hoisting a trophy and any young fan they could find before the confetti rained down:
The only thing that could match the mascot on the court was the 1 in the stands:
Then it was time to hug it out with the guys who battled right beside you all season long:
Coach Dan Hurley is well-known as 1 of the most intense coaches in the sport, so it was nice to see all his different emotions come out with his players/family after the amazing comeback win:
You might not think a 2-time national champ like Alex Karaban would care about winning a measly little Elite 8 game, but he was as emotional about it as anyone on the team:
Associate head coach Kimani Young got his start in college basketball by playing PG for Hall of Fame coach Don Haskins at UTEP, and 60 years after Haskins became the 1st coach to win a title with 5 African-American starters, Young is 2 wins away from his 3rd NCAA title as an assistant in the past 4 years:
When I interviewed Malachi Smith last Saturday, he mentioned that his brother Scoochie made it to the Elite 8 as a player for Dayton in 2014, but now the little brother has passed the big brother:
Assistant coach Luke Murray was hired as the new head coach at BC last Thursday…but it has been hard for him to make it up to Chestnut Hill since his current team keeps winning and winning, much to the delight of his famous father:
Silas Demary Jr. seemed to be having the most fun of anyone. He never won an NCAA tourney game during his time at Georgia, but thanks to his pass deflection that led to the game-winning shot he still has never lost at NCAA tourney game during his time in Storrs:
Solo Ball grew up 40 miles west of DC in Leesburg, VA, so getting the win in front of lots of family/friends made his celebration extra-special:
Tarris Reed Jr. was named East Regional MOP, and through 4 games so far he is having an NCAA tourney performance for the ages with 22 PPG/14 RPG/3 APG/1 SPG/2 BPG/60 FG%:
I saved the best for last, and with the season on the line, Braylon Mullins had his 1 shining moment:
Posted inNews and Notes|TaggedUConn|Comments Off on East Regional Champs: UConn postgame celebration!
The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the parents, fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The Sweet 16/Elite 8 are taking place in 4 cities around the country and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from DC with the Elite 8 game between UConn and Duke.
All the famous alumni were ready including 2006 UConn All-American Rudy Gay, 2024 UConn national champ Cam Spencer, and Duke Hall of Famer Grant Hill (who knows a little something about game-winning shots in an Elite 8: #foreshadowing!):
Both bands were ready:
Even UConn assistant coach Luke Murray’s famous father was ready:
Let’s tip off a battle of bluebloods for the final spot in the Final 4:
Duke used a nice balanced scoring effort to take control for most of the 1st half, but Tarris Reed Jr. kept UConn in it by scoring 12 of their 1st 16 PTS on 5-7 FG. However, the Boozer twins (Cameron/Cayden) kept pouring it on and combined for 27 PTS/8 REB/5 AST/2 STL/2 BLK to give the Blue Devils a seemingly insurmountable 44-29 halftime lead. I missed most of the 2nd half after interviewing not 1/not 2/but THREE Duke dads during intermission…and apparently Braylon Mullins made an important shot in the final second to win the game or something: www.reddit.com/r/CollegeBasketball/comments/1s7amux/full_sequence_of_2_uconn_g_braylon_mullins/?rdt=62735
Here is the trophy that both teams fought so hard for (not pictured: the staff who were prepared to bring the Duke East Regional championship hats/shirts out to the court SPRINTING back to the storage room to get the UConn gear instead!):
I cannot even begin to imagine what was going through the mind of Carlos Boozer as the thrill of victory for his twin sons turned into the agony of defeat in a split-second:
I can absolutely imagine what was going through the mind of Dan Hurley because much like my own reaction to the exhilarating ending, he could not believe his own eyes:
That is a wrap for tonight but check back tomorrow to check out my best photos from the UConn celebration!
Posted inNews and Notes|Taggedduke, UConn|Comments Off on All-Access at the East Regional in DC: UConn-Duke
The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the parents, fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The Sweet 16/Elite 8 are taking place in 4 cities around the country and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from DC with a trio of interviews of Duke basketball fathers.
Val Khamenia (father of Nikolas)
You are from Belarus: how did you 1st get into basketball? I started playing at age 7: all the other kids in my neighborhood were playing so I just joined them.
Your son Nik was born/raised in Los Angeles, where he helped his Harvard-Westlake High School team win back-to-back state championships in 2023/2024: what did it mean to you to see him win a pair of titles? As a family we were very happy for him. He put a lot of work in, and that was the price of all his hard work.
He played for Team USA at the 2024 FIBA U-18 AmeriCup/2024 FIBA 3×3 U-18 World Cup/2025 FIBA U-19 World Cup: what did it mean to you to see him represent his country/win all those gold medals? Same as above: we are very proud of him because it is a very selective group of guys who make Team USA.
Last year he was named a McDonald’s All-American: what did it mean to him to receive such an outstanding honor? Every kid grows up dreaming about that: it makes you a part of history so you cannot get any better than that.
What made him choose Duke? It is 1 of the top programs in country, so he can continue to grow here as person 1st/player 2nd.
He plays for Coach Jon Scheyer: what makes him such a great coach? He is 1 of the best. He is a young guy who can relate to his players and he is a winner.
He has played 37 games this year and averaged 5.7 PPG: how was he able to come in and contribute right from the start? It has been a journey that had its ups and downs. Most people do not remember that he only played 7-8 minutes as a freshman in high school, but all the games you mentioned above prepared him to be a good player.
You played basketball at GW: who is the best athlete in the family? I cannot answer that: we have too many of them!
Last Friday night the Blue Devils trailed St. John’s by 10 PTS with 15 minutes left: how nervous were you, and how were they able to pull off the upset? I was not nervous at all. The Duke roster is full of good players who have won trophies at different levels so they know how to compete and impose their will on their opponent, which they did in the 2nd half.
Any predictions for tonight’s game vs. UConn? We are going to win.
Kevin Harris (father of Darren)
Your son Darren was born/raised in Herndon, VA: how exciting is it for your family to be at the Elite 8 in DC? It is great: we would be there to support him no matter where the game was played, but to be in our own backyard is special.
What made him choose Duke? Nights like these: Duke is the place to go for such nights.
He plays for Coach Jon Scheyer: what makes him such a great coach? He has kept the legacy going and relates to his players. He does a great job situationally getting the right guys on the court and exploiting mismatches. As coach you must give up some things, but they are doing a great job tonight.
Last Friday night the Blue Devils trailed St. John’s by 10 PTS with 15 minutes left: how nervous were you, and how were they able to pull off the upset? I was not nervous: they had been there before, like when they trailed Siena at halftime last week. It was great to see Caleb Foster rally the guys on the bench even though he was coming off an injury. I was there when Caleb got hurt, but I saw the determination in his face, and I talked to his dad. Caleb put in a lot of hard work and all the credit goes to him and the coaching staff.
Any predictions for tonight’s game vs. UConn? UConn might catch fire from 3-PT range in the 2nd half…but I think Duke will win it by 8-10 PTS.
Patrick Ngongba (father of Patrick II)
Your son Patrick II was born/raised in Manassas, VA: how exciting is it for him to be at the Elite 8 in DC? It is very special.
He won a gold medal at the 2024 FIBA U-18 AmeriCup and won the 2024 Nike Hoop Summit: what did it mean to him to represent his country/win a gold medal? He represented the teams well and enjoyed the time he spent there.
What made him choose Duke? It is a good school and a great place for Patrick. It has such a great history/culture and he is in good hands.
He plays for Coach Jon Scheyer: what makes him such a great coach? He played for the greatest coach (Coach K) so he knows what it takes to win.
Last Friday night the Blue Devils trailed St. John’s by 10 PTS with 15 minutes left: how nervous were you, and how were they able to pull off the upset? I call them the “Comeback Kids”! I trusted them to eventually take the lead, and they did.
You and your wife Tajama played basketball at GW: who is the best athlete in the family? My wife broke the school scoring record for the women’s team (2134 PTS) so I will have to go with her.
Any predictions for tonight’s game vs. UConn? No specific prediction…but it will be a good game and end with a Duke win.
Check back for a lot more access all weekend long!
Posted inNews and Notes|Taggedduke|Comments Off on All-Access at the East Regional in DC: Duke Dads
The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the parents, fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The Sweet 16/Elite 8 are taking place in 4 cities around the country and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from DC with some Duke breakout room interviews.
SR F Maliq Brown
You won 4 high school state titles: what is the key to winning championships? Sticking to your game plan: you must stay present and cannot get too high or too low.
You began your college career at Syracuse: why did you decide to transfer to Duke? Duke was my dream school, so when they called me I could not pass it up. They have taught me how to be better both on and off the court.
Earlier this month you were named ACC defensive POY: what is the secret to playing great defense? UConn has a great big man in Tarris Reed Jr. so we cannot give him any easy catches/touches. I just try to be a pest and make things difficult for my opponent.
Caleb Foster returned from a foot fracture on Friday night to score 11 PTS in 19 minutes off the bench against St. John’s: how did he do it? He told us earlier this month that if we made it to DC then he would give it a shot. He will do anything to help our team win.
Bobby Hurley won back-to-back titles as a player at Duke…but is the brother of your next opponent’s coach: who do you think he will be cheering for on Sunday? He should cheer for his alma mater…but I know that family comes 1st so I am sure that he will have some mixed emotions.
Cameron Boozer had yet another double-double with 22 PTS/10 REB: I know that I should be impressed but he seems to do that every single time he steps onto the court? He is a very smart player who can score/facilitate. Even as a freshman it is crazy to see what he has accomplished this year, and I cannot wait to see what he will do in the future.
What makes Jon Scheyer such a great coach? He has done everything that he said he would do since the time he 1st recruited me out of the transfer portal. Freshmen can have a lot of emotions when they start college, but he is a great role model for young players.
What do you know about UConn, and what will it take to beat them? It is a good matchup: they won back-to-back titles in 2023/2024 so it will be a good challenge for us. If we play our best basketball then we can compete with anybody.
Check back for a lot more access all weekend long!
Posted inNews and Notes|Taggedduke, Maliq Brown|Comments Off on All-Access at the East Regional in DC: Duke breakout room interviews
The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the parents, fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The Sweet 16/Elite 8 are taking place in 4 cities around the country and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from DC with some Duke locker room interviews…once the team got off their bus.
SR G/F Jack Scott
You began your college career at Princeton: why did you decide to transfer to Duke? It is 1 of the premier programs in college basketball and I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity: it has been amazing.
In the Sweet 16 on Friday night, you trailed St. John’s by 10 PTS in the 2nd half: how were you able to turn things around? We have been in that situation of trailing by double-digits 6 times this season…and have won all 6 of those games. There is no 10-PT play in college basketball so you just have to take it possession-by-possession, rebound, and take care of the ball.
Cameron Boozer had yet another double-double with 22 PTS/10 REB: I know that I should be impressed but he seems to do that every single time he steps onto the court? He is on another level, but it is not due to all his double-doubles. His maturity for an 18-year-old kid is incredible: he goes about his business like a 10-year NBA veteran. He is a leader, so his teammates have a natural tendency to follow him.
What makes Jon Scheyer such a great coach? His demeanor/poise. He has a different message for us every day and always says the right thing to get us in the right head space.
What do you know about UConn, and what will it take to beat them? They are 1 of the top programs in the country. They run good sets on offense and are physical so we must rebound and take care of the ball.
FR G/F Nikolas Khamenia
Last year you were named a McDonald’s All-American: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It meant a lot. Most high school players dream about receiving that honor, and many of those who get it have gone on to become very successful.
You won gold medals at the 2025 FIBA U-19 World Cup/2024 FIBA U-18 AmeriCup/2024 U-18 World Cup, and won the Nike Hoop Summit last April: what is the secret to being a winner? It takes a full team so everyone must buy into their role.
Your father Valery played basketball at GW: who is the best athlete in the family? Me!
What makes Jon Scheyer such a great coach? He stays composed and does not change his demeanor.
What do you know about UConn, and what will it take to beat them? They have a great coach and players so we must guard/defend/rebound and then run our offense.
Check back for a lot more access all weekend long!
