NEWARK, N.J. – There is defense, there is strong defense, and then there is what Duke did to Alabama star Mark Sears Saturday night in the East Regional final.

Sears had no space all night. He was like a family of six living in a one-bedroom apartment in New York City. Wherever the star guard went, at least one or two Duke players followed in hot pursuit.

Coming off a sizzling 10 3-pointer performance in the Sweet 16 against BYU, Sears was defensive priority No. 1 for Duke.

And the Blue Devils shut him down. Sears made only 2 of 12 field goal attempts, and only 1 of 5 from 3-point range, and finished with six points.

It was a stunning result, as the Alabama senior guard averaged 19 points per game this year, as Duke held Sears to his third-lowest point total of the year (Sears went scoreless twice in 2024-25) as it advanced to its first Final Four since 2022.

“The big thing for him was showing them bodies, making sure whoever was guarding the ball knew they weren't on an island by themselves and making sure Sears knew that he wasn't on an island with our big or whoever else,” said Duke’s Sion James.

“He’s a phenomenal player, man,” Caleb Foster said. “Our game plan was to sit on his left hand, and make him play inside the 3-point line. And contest every shot he took. And we did a good job on that.”

As hot as Sears was Thursday, Duke shut him down at the start of the regional final immediately. Guarded by a combination of James and Tyrese Proctor, the Alabama star missed his first three shots and didn’t score until 2:17 left in the half.

Quite a few of his shots were long, hitting the back rim and bouncing off. Duke chased him around the perimeter the whole game, and didn’t give him open looks. And when Khaman Maluach or another big guarded Sears on the perimeter, their length made it difficult for him to even get shots off.

Maybe the final crucial stop on Sears came with Alabama down 14 and four minutes to go. Cooper Flagg played a great defensive possession, staying with Sears as he tried to get to the hoop. Eventually, Sears travelled. Flagg and Kon Knueppel screamed and Sears looked around, confused and wondering why he didn’t get a foul call.

It was a masterclass of a defensive performance.

“To hold them to 65 points is incredible,” coach Jon Scheyer said.

Foster has had one hell of a ride during his sophomore season. He began the year in October as a starting guard, alongside Proctor, the two veteran returners ready to lead a talented crop of freshmen.

Then Foster lost his starting job early in the season to James, and was buried on the bench for most of January and February.

But seasons aren’t always linear, and in recent weeks Foster emerged back into the rotation, and Saturday night, with a trip to the Final Four on the line, Foster was the first sub off the Duke bench.

He had an immediate impact, with a driving layup and a rebound. Then the North Carolinian hit maybe the most important Duke shot of the night.

When the Crimson Tide used a 7-0 run to cut the lead to 37-31 and the Alabama fans going wild in Prudential Center, Maliq Brown grabbed an offensive rebound off a Flagg miss. Flagg then kicked it out to Foster on the left wing.

The kid from Harrisburg, N.C. drained it with 3:02 left in the half, and suddenly the Blue Devils offense had life again.

“All the shots I put up, one of them has to go in,” Foster said with a big smile in the locker room.

For the game Foster had five points, two rebounds and three assists in 14 minutes.

“Caleb was huge tonight,” Scheyer said. “And to your point, look, this thing is an evolution, and the year hadn't gone the way that Caleb or I had both hoped. But I think the most important thing was our dialogue throughout of just ultimately wanting him to help the team the best that he could, him having an incredible attitude, his family allowing us to coach him.”

Asked how he stayed positive when he was glued to the bench for much of the last two months, Foster smiled.

“I just try to do whatever it takes to win. My objective was to get to the Final Four," he said. "Whatever role I’m gonna play, play it to the best of my abilities, bring energy, and do what I have to do.”

With Duke’s win, 37-year-old Scheyer is now the 8th player to ever play and coach in a Final Four. The other 7: Vic Bubas, Hubert Davis, Billy Donovan, Dick Harp, Bob Knight, Bones McKinney and oh yeah, some guy named Dean Smith.

“I just couldn't be more proud and thankful for having a group that's believed in me, us, the support from our administration, just down the line, has been incredible,” Scheyer said. “I'm really proud of the people that have believed in me and us to get to a Final Four.”

Jay Williams had one of the best Duke careers of all time, and had an immediate impact as a freshman in 1999-2000.

So he’s a good one to ask on where Cooper Flagg ranks among Duke freshman, all-time.

“First one who comes to mind is Kyrie (Irving),” Williams, now an ESPN broadcaster said from his seat in the second row at Prudential Center Saturday night. “And then you have to think about Grant (Hill). But was Grant this good defensively as a freshman? And did he play under control like (Flagg) does?”

“I don’t know if he’s better than Grant as a freshman,” Williams continued, “but he’s at least as good. Those two are the top.”

Like J.J. Redick and many other Duke players before him, Foster grew up as a Duke fan. And while he remembers many good moments, there were two that sprung to his mind immediately when he was asked about childhood Duke games he recalled.

“I would be heartbroken when they would lose in the tournament. The first one I really remember was the Mercer game,” Foster said, and we’ll pause now for Duke fans to wince at the memory of the 2014 first round loss, when 14th seed Mercer beat the Jabari Parker-led Blue Devils.

“And then I was there for the Carolina Final Four loss, when I was in high school,” Foster said. “But this here, tonight makes up for all of that. Me and Tyrese and the other guys who were coming back (this year), this was the goal.

“All the blood, sweat and tears, the early mornings we had to get up and run, it was all worth it.”

Duke will now play the winner of the Midwest Final between Houston and Tennessee next Saturday night, and the Blue Devils have recent NCAA Tournament history with both.

Duke played Houston in last year’s Sweet 16, defeating the Cougars, 54-51 in a brutally-physical defensive game. Duke faced Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament’s second round in 2023, when the Blue Devils, playing without Mark Mitchell, lost to the Volunteers, 65-52.

Obviously so much of the roster of both teams has changed since then, but regardless, you know it’ll be a physical matchup where how the game is officiated will be key.