Were it not for a freak accident while playing, Scheyer never would have gotten into coaching in his mid-20s. That set him on a path to taking over for Mike Krzyzewski at age 34 and guiding this year’s Blue Devils to the Final Four.

And yet, so much has changed since Duke’s run to its last national title in 2015 or its most recent Final Four three years ago. Krzyzewski is gone, retired in 2022 after winning 1,202 games to set a men’s college basketball record along with winning five titles and reaching 13 Final Fours.

Madness is almost over, but three big games remain. Here are our Duke vs. Houston predictions, picks and best bets for the Final Four.

Houston is known for its physicality and toughness. Duke basketball has earned a similar reputation, going back to "grueling" preseason practices.