Duke’s Oluchi Okananwa and South Carolina’s Chloe Kitts battle for a rebound during the first half of the Blue Devils’ NCAA Tournament Elite Eight matchup at Legacy Arena on Sunday, March 30, 2025, in Birmingham, Ala. Kaitlin McKeown The News & Observer

Duke’s stream of NBA-ready standouts used smothering defense and other options on offense to paper over Cooper Flagg’s rough shooting night and lift the Blue Devils to the program’s 18th Final Four wi

With a dominant display in all facets of the game, Duke punched its ticket to San Antonio for its 18th Final Four appearance in program history.

Cooper Flagg Duke is headed to the Final Four. In large part, the Blue Devils' run has been sparked by a freshman who is on his way to being the National Player of the Year in college basketball. Cooper Flagg was a heralded recruit and he has lived up to the hype and more.

Sears dribbled down court, bullied his way into the key for a point-blank, straight- on chip shot—and missed it, adding to a frustrating evening that saw him shoot just 2-12 from the field with a single three-pointer (forget about double-digits). With that miss, Alabama was done for.

Only two more games separate Cooper Flagg and the Blue Devils from immortality and the program's sixth national championship banner.