Final Four 2025: Duke Crumbles in Historic Collapse Against Houston Amid Controversial Call on Cooper Flagg"

Final Four 2025: Duke’s Stunning Collapse Ends in Controversy and Heartbreak as Houston Advances

There are collapses — and then there’s what happened to Duke in the final minutes of Saturday night’s Final Four matchup against Houston. A meltdown of historic proportions, sealed not just by cold shooting and missed opportunities, but by a highly questionable whistle that will haunt the Blue Devils for a long time.

For 30 minutes, Duke looked every bit the powerhouse it had been all season. The Blue Devils led by as many as 14 points and seemed poised to punch a ticket to the national championship. But in the last 10 minutes, their offense fell into a deep freeze, scoring just one field goal — a staggering drought at the worst possible time.

Even so, with 20 seconds left, they still had control. Leading by one, Tyrese Proctor stepped to the free-throw line for a critical one-and-one. Make both, and Houston would be forced into a prayer from beyond the arc. Miss, and all bets were off.

Proctor’s shot clanked off the rim.

Then came the moment that lit up social media and left Duke fans fuming: Cooper Flagg — the freshman prodigy and national sensation — was whistled for a foul on the rebound. From the live angle, it looked routine, even clean. On replay, it was even murkier. Flagg reached over Houston’s J’Wan Roberts, but Roberts never made a play on the ball. He was too busy boxing out. Flagg didn’t appear to make contact that altered the rebound — yet the whistle blew, and the tide turned.

CBS broadcasters voiced their disbelief. Fans echoed it instantly online. It’s the kind of call that’s technically justifiable but situationally devastating. In a regular-season game? Maybe. In the dying seconds of a Final Four thriller? It felt like a sledgehammer.

Roberts knocked down both free throws, giving Houston its first lead since the 14:42 mark of the first half. On the ensuing possession, Duke gave the ball to Flagg — the 18-year-old who carried the hopes of a program and a fanbase. He got a clean look, rose up, and missed. L.J. Cryer was fouled on the rebound and hit both of his free throws with three seconds left to put the final dagger in Duke’s title hopes.

Just like that, it was over.

For Flagg, the ending was especially cruel. The youngest player on the floor, a generational talent who should still be in high school, had dragged Duke to this stage with poise and brilliance. He’d already claimed every major national player of the year award and is the consensus No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. But now, his college career — likely just a one-season saga — ends with a foul he may not have committed and a shot that didn’t fall.

The game will live on in highlight reels, message boards, and bitter debates — not only for Duke’s offensive collapse, but for the whistle that changed everything.

No excuses. But there will always be questions.