RJ Barrett Consoles Tre Jones After Duke Loss To Michigan State: Watch

With a spot in the Final Four on the line, the Duke Blue Devils and the Michigan State Spartans engaged in a match for the ages, which say both teams play close until the very end. Despite being heavy favorites to win the entire tournament, the Blue Devils came up short, with Michigan State winning by a final score of 68-67. The loss was especially heartbreaking for Tre Jones and RJ Barrett. Barrett missed a game-tying free throw with only five seconds left, which allowed the Spartans to go on and win the game.

In the locker room afterward, ESPN was interviewing Barrett about the loss. In the middle of the interview, Barrett stopped to put his arm around an inconsolable Jones who was clearly pained at the recent loss. 

“If you weren’t a Duke fan, everyone wanted to see us fail,” Jones told reporters. “All the adversity, it made us so close as a group. We all wanted to win so bad, and that’s what hurts so much.”

Jones was seen crying and bending over on the court immediately after the final buzzer had gone. Players like Zion Williamson were visibly upset as well, but it was Jones’ reaction that caused a lasting impression on the college basketball community.

The Spartans will now play Texas Tech in the Final Four.