The lingering image from No. 1-seed Duke's loss to Michigan State on Sunday in the NCAA East Region final is freshman guard and former Apple Valley star Tre Jones breaking down and sobbing right after the final horn.
It's a far different outcome than his older brother, Tyus, had when Duke won the tournament in 2015 after the Blue Devils defeated Wisconsin 68-63 and he was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
Tyus Jones declared for the NBA draft and ended up with the Timberwolves when they traded for him after he was chosen by Cleveland with the No. 24 pick in the first round.
As you'd expect, the brothers have been in touch.
But Tyus added that he doesn't know exactly how Tre is feeling.
"I didn't have to experience that," Tyus said. "So I don't know exactly how he's feeling. I can't even imagine."
Tre Jones had four points and five assists in the 68-67 loss to the Spartans after surviving upset bids from Central Florida and Virginia Tech. Tre Jones scored a season-high 22 points against Virginia Tech.
While many Twin Cities basketball fans were excited about a homecoming performance by Tre Jones -- one of three players whose teams were eliminated in the Elite Eight along with former DeLaSalle stars Reid Travis (Kentucky) and Geno Crandall (Gonzaga) -- he told reporters after the game that Duke wasn't exactly America's team.
"If you weren't a Duke fan, everyone wanted to see us fail," said Jones., adding that he's not yet sure of his plans for next season. "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."
