Boston Celtics
“Hate to see us exit like that, but it surely was nonetheless an unbelievable 12 months.”
Jayson Tatum solely spent a 12 months at Duke, however he stays related to this system in numerous methods.
In October, he was named chief basketball officer of the Blue Devils’ males’s basketball program. In some methods, the position introduced issues full circle. Tatum is now in an advisory position lending his voice to teach Jon Scheyer, who helped recruit Tatum to the college 11 years in the past.
“Simply tried to be a voice and useful resource,” Tatum mentioned. “Speaking to the employees, I talked to Jon each different day. Gamers on the group would attain out. Simply being an prolonged useful resource to the group and the fellows that had any questions. I watched as many video games as I may.”
Tatum spent a while on campus in the course of the summer season, and he stored tabs on the group’s NCAA Match run.
So, it’s no shock that he was disillusioned to see UConn finish Duke’s season with a buzzer-beater within the Elite Eight.
“I used to be sick,” Tatum mentioned. “However I couldn’t be extra happy with these guys. It was an unbelievable season. Scheyer and his employees, clearly I’ve an excellent relationship with them.”
“Hate to see us exit like that, but it surely was nonetheless an unbelievable 12 months. We had the hardest schedule, No. 1 total seed. … So I simply form of felt for all these guys within the locker room. That’s an unimaginable approach to lose, so I felt for all these guys.”
Duke was up by 2 with 10 seconds to go within the sport they usually had the ball. UConn’s frantic ball strain resulted in a lure close to the half-court March Insanity brand the place a go was deflected.
Freshman guard Braylon Mullins tracked it down, tossed it to Massachusetts native Alex Karaban, who finally gave it again to Mullins for a game-winning heave from the brand.
The win put the Huskies again within the Remaining 4. UConn received the nationwide title in 2023 and 2024. They misplaced within the second spherical to eventual nationwide champion Florida final 12 months. Now, the Huskies are two wins away from making it three nationwide titles in 4 years.
UConn is about for a rematch with Illinois. The Huskies beat the Combating Illini by 25 factors at TD Backyard within the 2024 Elite Eight on their approach to claiming the second championship of the Dan Hurley period.
Tip-off for UConn-Illinois is about for Saturday at 6:09 p.m. With Duke out, the remaining two No. 1 seeds will face one another. Arizona and Michigan will comply with at 8:49 p.m. on Saturday.
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