Final Four Finishes We ALL Deserved

Are you awake now? Cause I sure damn well am! Wow, this tournament really saved its best for the end. All week we were told this was going to be an epic Final Four, and how it would make up for an overall ho-hum tournament. Well the 1 seeds played all of that part, well for the most part… Duke oof.

Florida plays comeback kids again

Game 1 was a back-and-forth affair for most of the first half, each team trading blows. Until the middle 8, which for those that don’t know, is the last 4 of the 1st half and first 4 of the second. Auburn seemed to take the reins in this time, stretching the game to a 49-40 lead with about 17 to go (okay, middle 7... my bad).

Florida then did what they have done all year...they turned it into an open court game very quickly as their guards took complete control of the game, hitting 3s and dunks/layups left and right in transition, quickly turning the game around. Though it seemed to truly turn with this dunk by Alijah Martin with 5:30 to go.

Auburn made some late runs, but the closer showed up again...and surprisingly, I don’t mean Walter Clayton Jr. (though his 34 was the quietest 34 I’ve ever seen uhh that’s a compliment btw). Anyways, I mean Thomas Haugh, with a pivotal couple of buckets including a HUGE and-1 when momentum was looking to flip to the Tigers. Florida is now onto Monday night for a national championship...their first since 2007.

Now onto the true story of the night…

Duke Collapses to Houston’s Havoc Playstyle

Houston & Duke was the game of the tournament without question, as the Coogs played cardiac kids for the 3rd time. The first half saw a game of runs, with Houston drawing first strike, followed by Duke runs, and Houston finding ways to stay within distance going into the half, 34-28 Duke lead.

Now to start the 2nd half, it had the feeling of Houston just missing too many chances to cut it to a one-score game...in fact, they had 3 chances down 5 and couldn’t get it there, and with Duke looking to extend, but no one was showing up in the second half. Until the man himself, Cooper Flagg, put Duke on his back, looking unstoppable for a stretch, helping Duke finally pull ahead.

In fact, with 8:17 to go, Duke was up 59-45 and Houston stuck scoreless for 3-plus minutes, it seemed to be all but finished… even our darling John Fanta agreed.

The Coogs had a different idea unfortunately for the Dukies. LJ Cryer & Emmanuel Sharp put their team’s season in their hands with clutch shot after shot. Yet still, you looked up and Duke even with just ONE field goal in the last 10 minutes...still led by six. Yes, I said SIX and ummm… with the ball. GULP. And oh yeah only 43 seconds left.

They have 3 lottery picks and a potential 4th first-rounder, so it’s still in the bag, of course.

WRONG!

Instead, for the last 45 seconds, Houston monstarred (made-up word, I know) their asses or something. Turnovers, missed free throws, and yes yes yes a 50/50 questionable foul call, but also not smart with the lead there, Coopster. Within 25 seconds, Duke now found themselves now down 68-67, needing a bucket to get to the chapionship!

Well shit, though the generational talent now has the chance for his moment. This is how he will etch himself into March Madness history forever. Erasing the demons from multiple close losses earlier in the season, and gain the clutch gene tag on 2K next season with the Wizards(LMAO).

Flagg got the ball, rose up over Ja’Wan Roberts for the picture to be on every middle school’s lock screen for the next year. Instead, Roberts was right with him for the challenge, and as the shot left his hands, all Dukies standing, waiting for this moment, fell to their knees as the ball clanged off the front rim into Houston’s hands...all but ending this epic battle, and cementing Flagg’s Duke legacy as a major only if and what could have been.

I have to interject one thing...Cooper Flagg, in all fairness, was the only dude in the second half for Duke. Knueppel, Proctor, and Maluach all had heartbreakingly awful performances.

Houston with the comeback for the ages against the team that was supposed to be light years ahead of them in talent. Instead they showed talent can be measured in many ways including defense, grit, and determination. Now they must quickly turn their attention and focus to winning it all against a potent Florida team.

Bet of the Day

04-06

Andrew Nembhard 12+ points +115