It’s hard to say an NCAA championship game could ever be boring, but looking back through history, the Butler vs Duke one is hard to deny that.
And even former Duke star Nolan Smith admittedly says so.
Smith appeared on Tidal League’s Run Your Race podcast hosted by Tar Heel [autotag]Theo Pinson[/autotag]. The two athletes, who are natural rivals due to their school’s enriched history discussed numerous things on the podcast including the dreadful Butler vs. Duke game.
Despite a nail-biting ending, the majority of the game was a snooze fest that doesn’t hold up well against other NCAA championship games. Smith, who started in the backcourt alongside current Duke coach Jon Scheyer in the championship game, admitted to Pinson about the being boring to watch but not play in.
The most boring national championship game ever? 😂#duke #butler pic.twitter.com/oaE1iNPrZw
— Tidal League (@TidalLeague) May 24, 2024
Neither team shot particularly well. Butler finished with 33.3% from three, and Duke finished at 29.4%. Stars struggled, with Butler’s star Gordon Hayward finishing with 12 points on 2-11 shooting. Smith didn’t have a stellar game either, finishing with 13 points on 5-15 shooting.
It’s intriguing to hear how Coach K’s decision to call for the missed free throw paid off big time, highlighting his brilliance.
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