“Behind the Buzzer: Duke Cheerleaders’ Bold Final Four Photo Sparks Controversy and Curiosity!”

As the NCAA Tournament rolls on, one question looms large: Can the Duke Blue Devils reclaim their former glory in the post-Coach K era? After a gripping journey through the tournament, they’ve proven they still pack a punch, decisively defeating the 2-seeded Alabama by 20 points in the Elite Eight. This victory marks Duke’s return to the Final Four for the first time since 2022, and with superstar Cooper Flagg leading the charge, excitement is reaching a fever pitch. Yet, as they prepare to face the formidable 1-seeded Houston team in San Antonio—a squad that laid waste to a powerful Tennessee team—the stakes have never been higher. With the game taking place far from home and Houston’s fan support poised to be overwhelming, will the Blue Devils have the resilience to push through? And let’s not forget the spirited Duke cheerleaders, whose Instagram posts are all but stoking the flames of enthusiasm! Click here to see how it all unfolds in what promises to be an electrifying showdown. LEARN MORE.

For the first time in the post-Coach K era, the Duke Blue Devils have reached the NCAA Tournament’s Final Four. 

Led by all-world forward Cooper Flagg, Duke thoroughly dominated 2-seeded Alabama in the Elite Eight, beating the SEC powerhouse by 20 to reach the Final Four for the first time since 2022. 

They now head to San Antonio, Texas, where they will take on a 1-seeded Houston team that just made mincemeat out of a superb Tennessee team. It’s not likely to be an easy win for the Blue Devils.

Duke will need all of the support they can get from all of their players and their supporters. Since the game is in Texas, the Cougars might have the upper hand in fan support. 

Naturally, the Duke cheerleading team will be doing their part as well to keep the audience involved. 

Taking to Instagram earlier this week, Duke shared one final, sizzling photo of the cheerleading team from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey:

“(soon) San Antonio, TX,” the team posted.

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A post shared by Duke Cheerleading (@dukecheerleading)

Over his first two seasons at Duke, head coach Jon Scheyer has done a solid job of picking up right where Coach K left off. He won the ACC Tournament title in his first year but his team was eliminated in the Round of 32.

Last year, his team couldn’t win either the regular season or tournament titles, but still led Duke all the way to the Elite Eight.

However, the arrival of all-world superstar Cooper Flagg this year has accelerated the growth of the team. Their only losses all season have come to blue-blooded Kentucky and Kansas, along with a road stunner to ACC rival Clemson. They have not lost a game in nearly two months.

Duke are currently favored by 5.5 points over Houston heading into Saturday’s big Final Four showdown. 

The winner of that game will wind up facing the cream of the SEC crop as SEC regular season champion Auburn takes on SEC Tournament champion Florida with the national title on the line.

Florida-Auburn will be on Saturday at 6:09 p.m. ET and will air on CBS. Duke-Houston will air at 8:49 p.m. on CBS.

Related: ‘Stunning’ Duke Cheerleader Goes Viral At Madison Square Garden