March Madness bracket hot takes: Duke blows it, UConn wins it, Arizona shouldn't care

• Duke threw it away. Literally. UConn stole it. Arizona shouldn't care. Be real, Arizona-Michigan is for the national title.
• 'UConn heart' shows in comeback against Duke, Dan Hurley says. Duke's youth showed, too.
• East region too much for Duke, while Michigan and Arizona keep getting better.

Duke threw it away. Literally.

UConn’s Braylon Mullins hit one of the great shots in NCAA Tournament history.

Just before that, Cayden Boozer committed one of the most brutal turnovers in tournament history. Let us not mince words.

Add it up, and Duke blew it, UConn stole it, and the Huskies won 73-72 in the Elite Eight, a game Duke had no business losing, and UConn had little business winning after facing a 15-point halftime deficit, but nobody’s better in March these past few years than Dan Hurley’s Huskies.

“It’s the UConn culture. It’s the UConn heart,” Hurley said on CBS, with his Huskies heading to the Final Four for the third time in the past four years.

“We just believe we’re supposed to win this time of year," Hurley added.

That says it all.

Duke led by two points with 10 seconds remaining and in possession of the ball. The Blue Devils would win if they could do only two things: Don’t turn the ball over. Make two free throws.

Duke never made it to the foul line, because apparently a bundle of NIL cash doesn’t buy fundamentals.

Duke didn’t even need to advance the ball past half court. The Huskies would have had to foul Duke, lest time expire. And, still, the Blue Devils played in a rush.

Boozer saw two teammates open under the basket. Just one problem: He had two defenders and four outstretched arms in his face. He threw the ball right into the limbs, instead of waiting for the foul to come.

Turnover.

UConn still needed to hit the shot, and Alex Karaban could’ve hoisted a contested shot from 30 feet. He’s the most prolific 3-point shooter in UConn history, and he’d just hit a 3 in the final minute. But, Karaban would’ve had a hand in his face, and so he made a veteran move.

Karaban passed to the open freshman, who stroked a 3-pointer from the logo as calmly as making a shot in the pregame layup line.

Old teams win in March, and Duke’s young team choked it away, but also credit UConn’s youngest player on the court for hitting the winning shot.

At the time of the crucial turnover, Duke had three freshmen and two sophomores on the court, and a 38-year-old coach on the sideline.

They all got schooled.

“I was ready for a timeout,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said.

He didn’t call it.

Clearly, Scheyer never expected Boozer to throw such a risky pass.

“This is not about one play,” Scheyer said.

It’s about two plays, at least.

A crushing turnover, and an epic shot.

East Region too much for Duke in March Madness

We said before the tournament the selection committee placed Duke in the toughest region, despite being the No. 1 overall seed.

That came to fruition. The East was, indeed, a beast.

Duke got pushed hard by 16-seed Siena. It didn’t pull away from No. 9 TCU until the second half. No. 5 St. John’s supplied a 40-minute challenge. Then, Duke collapsed against No. 2 UConn.

The region draw shouldn’t excuse Duke’s exit, and yet No. 1 seeds Arizona and Michigan cashed in on much more favorable draws.

Big Ten can end NCAA Tournament title drought

The SEC qualified the most teams for the tournament, but the past two weeks showed us the Big Ten possessed the superior conference among the “Super Two” rivals.

From football to basketball, the SEC now resides under the Big Ten’s thumb, an incredible plot twist.

Now, to finish the job.

The 2000 Michigan State Spartans remain the last Big Ten team to win a national championship. There’s a chance the Big Ten guarantees itself of a champion before Monday. If Illinois beats UConn and Michigan beats Arizona, it’s a B1G party.

The Big Ten enjoys bragging rights for the moment, but it still needs a crown.

The SEC cemented its excellent 2025 tournament performance when Florida delivered to the conference its first national champion since 2012 Kentucky.

Michigan and Illinois, you're up. Champions get remembered.

Arizona-Michigan is the real national championship

Upsets happen, but, by all appearances, the de facto national championship will occur in the semifinal clash between Arizona-Michigan.

Those two teams looked like the cream of the bracket the entire tournament. Arizona starts five players who each average in double figures. Four of Michigan’s starters average in double digits, and the Wolverines’ Yaxel Lendeborg has emerged as one of the tournament’s biggest stars.

Pity the fool who spends their savings on Monday’s national championship game tickets. If only attending one day at the Final Four, go on Saturday, and know when you watch Arizona-Michigan that you just saw the national champion, even if you must wait for two days for the winner to receive its crown.

National championship prediction: Arizona beats Illinois

UConn’s comeback against Duke will overshadow that it’s next opponent, Illinois, looked smooth while emerging from the South Region. UConn beat Illinois in November. The Illini are playing better now. They can flip that result. An excellent offensive team, the Illini’s defense rounded into top form by tournament time.

As for the other semifinal, Michigan has looked as dominant as any team in the tournament, but I just trust Arizona a bit more. I’m drawn to the experience of senior point guard Jaden Bradley. I can’t envision him pulling a Duke and turning the ball over with the lead in the final seconds.

Also, you never know which Wildcat will lead Arizona in scoring. I like such a well-rounded team. Or, every member of the starting five might go for 18 points apiece. That balance leaves me unable to resist picking Arizona.

Blake Toppmeyer is a columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.