Caleb Love already has seen plenty of Duke in a five-year college career, even after transferring across the country from North Carolina to Arizona. He might not be done, either.
Patrick Ngongba II’s spinning drive along the baseline and two free throws on the ensuing drive gave Duke a 13-point lead with less than five minutes to play.
They earned the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for their first trip since 2019, making 72-year-old Hall of Famer Rick Pitino the first coach to take six schools to the Big Dance.
Haggerty, the AAC player of the year, put the Tigers (28-5) ahead to stay with two free throws that made it 72-71 with 40 seconds left. He finished with 18 points.
Auburn won this tournament last year only to wind up a No. 4 seed when the selection committee announced the NCAA Tournament bracket. Auburn lost to Yale in the first round.
Kruger went 76-55 in four seasons and failed to lead the Rebels to the NCAA Tournament. The program, once one of college basketball’s national powers, hasn’t been a part of March Madness since 2013.