The UConn Huskies handed the Duke Blue Devils one of the most jaw-dropping losses in the 2025-26 NCAA season. The impact of that loss was so much so that even Mike Krzyzewski, who is also known as Coach K, was left having nightmares.

With 7 seconds left on the clock, the Blue Devils held a 2-point lead and even had possession of the ball. All they had to do was hold onto the ball to seal a Final Four berth. However, out of a rush, the Blue Devils saw a frantic turnover on which the Huskies capitalized in stunning fashion. Braylon Mullins launched a deep three to hit a buzzer beater and push UConn to a 73–72 win in the Elite Eight.

“It was heartbreaking. I am telling you,” Coach K said during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. “Even though I haven’t coached for four years now. It was a great, great basketball game. Not a good one. It was a great game. I could not fall asleep last night.”

The moment would have definitely hit differently for Krzyzewski because of what he built at Duke.

Over a legendary 42-season run, he wasn’t just another coach of the program. He led the Blue Devils to five national championships, turning it into a program with gold standards. So even in retirement, nights like that feel personal.

“I felt like I was a part of that. And then you’re thinking of all these individual kids and how you are going to take care of them. You have such great empathy for our guys. Obviously, I am a Duke guy and have concerns for them. It’s a tough one to get over,” he further added.

But even in all that heartbreak, he didn’t just dwell on what went wrong, because the shot that broke Duke also demanded its own kind of respect.

Coach K tips his hat to Braylon Mullins

After the game ended, McAfee didn’t waste any time sitting down with Mullins as well after his buzzer-beater sent the UConn Huskies back to the Final Four.

But even for Mullins, who was having an off night (he started the game 0-for-4), the extent of what he did, didn’t fully sink in.

“I knew once I had the ball… I had to put one up. It came off my hand pretty well. It’s crazy that was the one that went in,” Mullins said.

Even after starting the game cold, Mullins still trusted himself when it mattered most. And that’s exactly what caught Coach K’s attention, too.

“Congratulations, son,” he said. “What an amazing moment. And how about your senior leader, (Alex) Karaban, having the confidence in you to make a historical pass before the historical shot.”

And just like that, the same play that will haunt the Duke Blue Devils is the one that cements Braylon Mullins in March Madness lore.

Now, with momentum firmly on their side, the UConn Huskies turn their attention to the Final Four, where they’ll face the Illinois Fighting Illini on April 4 in what promises to be another high-stakes showdown.