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For the second straight year, the Duke Blue Devils were bounced from the NCAA Tournament in improbably fashion after holding a late lead.
This time, the Blue Devils led UConn by two points and had the ball with under 10 seconds remaining when Cayden Boozer turned it over, allowing Huskies’ star Braylon Mullins to hit a long 3-pointer for the win.
Unfortunately for Duke’s Isaiah Evans, a sophomore who is expected to go in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft, he was the one tasked with guarding Mullins on the play, and he failed to listen to his own rule.
Duke Star Isaiah Evans Mocked For Not Getting A Hand Up On Byron Mullins
One of the first things you’re taught as a defender when learning the game of basketball is to get a hand up in the face of a player when he’s shooting. In doing so, you can throw off the shooter’s perception and perhaps even alter the shot.
Evans, however, perhaps still in shock over the fact that Boozer turned the ball over when he could’ve just held onto it, simply watched Mullins pull up (albeit from well beyond the 3-point arc) and shoot the game-winning shot.
That alone would be a cardinal sin in the basketball world. But it’s made worse by the fact that Evans, who is admittedly an above-average defender, goes by the moniker “Getuhhandup” on Instagram.
One of Duke guard’s Isaiah Evans’ Instagram handles. pic.twitter.com/l5mht3YppN
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 30, 2026
Now, admittedly, I am a big fan of Isaiah Evans’ game. I think the size, shooting, and defense will translate extremely well at the next level.
But Isaiah, my guy, you can’t refuse to do the one thing that you are telling everyone to do! That is how you end up going viral on the internet for all the wrong reasons. And nobody wants that.
Hopefully, at some point in the future, Evans can look back and laugh at the irony of the situation. But it may take while, because this one is going to sting for a long time.