In a little under two weeks, Duke will face UConn the day before Thanksgiving in a rematch of last season’s Elite Eight. While there’s plenty of motivation for the Blue Devils – and plenty of storylines overall – after the Huskies scored an improbable come-from-behind upset in March Madness on Braylon Mullins’ 35-foot buzzer beater, the matchup just lost its extra layer of heat.
Former Duke forward Nik Khamenia, who was on the Blue Devils’ team last year when they suffered the stunning loss to the Huskies, transferred to UConn this offseason in a move that many Duke fans took as a slap in the face.
Khamenia transferring wasn’t all that surprising, and it was ultimately the best decision for him with the talent that Duke returned and brought in. But to transfer to that team, the one that ripped your heart out at the end of last season, will never sit right…