In the Final Four, Coach K and Duke were defeated by UNC

March Madness 2022: Coach K And Duke Choked Vs. Unc In Final Four

Coach K’s career came to an end when the Duke Blue Devils lost in the Final Four to North Carolina, but was the Hall of Famer to blame for the defeat?

On Saturday night in New Orleans, the hottest ticket in March Madness history lived up to the anticipation as Duke and North Carolina played a thrilling game.

Unfortunately for the Blue Devils, they were defeated by the Tar Heels, who won 81-77, putting an end to Mike Krzyzewski’s Hall of Fame career.

Caleb Love scorched Duke all night, leading all scorers with 28 points and hitting a game-winning three-pointer in the final minute to extend the Tar Heels’ lead to four points.

The Blue Devils’ late effort fell short, and Coach K’s tenure came to an end in a bizarre contest that saw the lead change hands 18 times throughout the night.

Is Coach K to blame for Duke’s Final Four defeat?

Krzyzewski could have done a lot of things differently to help Duke win this game. Fans of Duke didn’t expect the game to go this way.

The referees called six first-half fouls on Mark Williams and Theo John, which significantly limited Duke’s ability to get inside.

The Blue Devils were also bogged down by the strain of the moment, as they hit just 12-of-20 from the free-throw line, with two important misses from Williams immediately preceding the Love three-pointer that proved to be the game-winner.

Duke was also chilly from beyond the arc, making only five of 22 three-point shots, putting them in a position to win in the waning minutes thanks to Krzyzewski’s coaching.

All of that won’t matter in the history books, which will now record Coach K’s final home game and NCAA Tournament game being destroyed by a loss to Duke’s most vehement rival.

This defeat will sting for a long time, and it will present a significant obstacle for incoming head coach Jon Scheyer as he takes over for Krzyzewski next season.