Texas A&M Stuns Duke To Win First NCAA Basketball Championship
Texas A&M captured its first NCAA men's basketball championship Monday night with a 72-68 upset over top-seeded Duke in Phoenix. The Aggies, a No. 3 seed, overcame a 12-point second-half deficit behind 24 points from sophomore guard Jace Carter to secure the program's historic title.
The victory marks Texas A&M's first appearance in the championship game and delivers the school its first major team national championship since the 1939 football team. Duke, seeking its sixth title under coach Jon Scheyer, fell short despite 21 points from preseason All-American Cooper Flagg.
The game is trending nationally as fans celebrate Texas A&M's Cinderella run through the tournament. The Aggies defeated two No. 1 seeds (Houston and Purdue) before taking down the Blue Devils in front of a record 74,423 fans at State Farm Stadium.
Social media erupted after the final buzzer as #12thMan trended nationwide. Texas A&M students flooded the streets of College Station late Monday, with police estimating over 25,000 celebrants on campus. The university announced Tuesday morning classes would be canceled.
Duke's loss continues a championship drought for traditional powerhouses. No blueblood program (Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky or Kansas) has won the title since 2017, the longest such stretch in tournament history. Analysts credit the rise of NIL deals and the transfer portal for leveling the playing field.
The championship caps a remarkable turnaround for Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams, who took over a struggling program in 2019. His decision to start four underclassmen paid off as the Aggies became the first team since 2014 UConn to win the title without a senior starter.
President Biden called Texas A&M president Mark Welsh III to congratulate the team Tuesday morning. The Aggies will be honored at the White House later this month, though no date has been set. Players are expected to split approximately $2.1 million from NIL deals tied to the championship run.
Tournament officials confirmed Monday's game drew the highest television ratings since 2019, with preliminary numbers showing 18.7 million viewers on TBS. The matchup between two contrasting styles - Duke's NBA-ready talent versus Texas A&M's gritty defense - captivated casual fans throughout the second half.
Texas A&M's victory completes a chaotic tournament that saw the fewest No. 1 seeds (two) reach the Elite Eight since 2000. The Aggies become just the third team in 25 years to win the title after losing their conference tournament, joining 2014 UConn and 2021 Baylor.
