The Blue Devils, with one expected departure, believe it has everything it needs to reach a Final Four. It’s going to use lessons from its loss to South Carolina to push the program another step forward.

Alabama basketball had a chance to make the Final Four for the second straight season. All the Crimson Tide has to do is beat the No. 1 seed in the region. Duke had other plans. The Blue Devils stifled the Tide offense, the same one that put up a record-breaking performance against BYU in the Elite Eight, and beat Alabama 85-65.

Two days after Alabama set an NCAA Tournament record, Duke's defense put the clamps on the Tide's high-scoring attack.