DALLAS — Duke left no doubt on Saturday night, eliminating St. John's 84-67 in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament to advance to the Elite Eight. Freshman forward Cooper Flagg was the story from the opening minutes, finishing with 28 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists in a performance that reminded a national audience why he is the consensus top pick for the 2026 NBA Draft.

Coach Jon Scheyer's Blue Devils came in as heavy favourites, and they played like it. Duke shot 51 percent from the field and buried ten three-pointers, exploiting the Red Storm's perimeter defence that had held up admirably during the regular season but wilted against Duke's pace and athleticism. St. John's, riding an emotional wave after dispatching a higher seed in the Round of 32, simply had no answer for Flagg when he operated in the mid-range or attacked off the dribble.

St. John's head coach Rick Pitino kept his team competitive into the second half, with guards Kadary Richmond and RJ Luis Jr. combining for 35 points and refusing to let the margin balloon beyond fifteen until the final five minutes. But foul trouble for Luis in the second half proved decisive, limiting his ability to guard Flagg one-on-one — the assignment Duke had clearly identified as the key matchup coming in.

The Red Storm exit the tournament having surpassed nearly every preseason expectation, delivering St. John's its deepest tournament run in over a decade and reaffirming Pitino's rebuilding project in Queens as one of the more credible stories in college basketball. Their fans, who had packed sections of the arena, gave the team a standing ovation as the clock expired.

Duke now awaits the winner of the other regional semifinal to contest a spot in the Final Four. For Flagg, who made his collegiate decision on the promise that Duke could make a deep tournament run, Saturday's performance was precisely the statement he and the programme needed. If the Blue Devils continue in this form, a national championship conversation is no longer hypothetical.