South Carolina just crushed Duke’s hopes of making their first Final Four since 2006, pulling off a 54-50 victory. The Blue Devils controlled most of the game but collapsed in the fourth quarter, watching their lead slip away at the free-throw line. While foul trouble played a role, fans were more frustrated by Kara Lawson’s coaching decisions, drawing comparisons to John Calipari’s blunders in Arkansas’ Sweet 16 loss. The final moments were a brutal reminder that a coach’s choices can dictate a season’s fate.
Like Calipari, Lawson is facing criticism for poor shot selection, questionable substitutions, and late-game management mistakes. One fan on X vented, “Kara Lawson for Duke with the dumbest sub, she subs out her leading scorer who has 20 pts down 2 with 20 seconds left … and subs her back in for defense with 8 seconds left.”
The decision was baffling. Toby Fournier, who had 18 points, three blocks, and six rebounds in 32 minutes, was benched with 29 seconds remaining for Tania Mair, who played 18 minutes, shot 1-5 from the field, and had just three points while committing two fouls. The move left fans shaking their heads, questioning what Lawson saw that they didn’t.
Kara Lawson for duke with the dumbest sub , she subs out her leading scorer who has 20 pts down 2 with 20 seconds left …. And subs her back in for defense with 8 seconds left …
— Rob (@RobDash6) March 30, 2025
And the outrage didn’t stop there. Another fan fumed, “Duke really should be ashamed of themselves. I know damn well a step-back three wasn’t a play Kara Lawson had drawn up at any point of the game, especially with LESS THAN 30 SECONDS ON THE CLOCK.” The rushed shot selection mirrored Calipari’s Arkansas team, which crumbled in crunch time against Texas Tech. In both cases, the lack of a structured offensive set proved disastrous.
More to follow….
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