CSI Greenville: The 4 suspects in Duke's season-ending collapse

Duke was in complete control of South Carolina through 20 minutes Sunday, but was slaughtered in the last 20 en route to a shocking second-round loss in the NCAA tournament.

The collapse in Greenville was so epic that it requires a thorough investigation to determine a culprit.

Case File: NCAA_2017_Duke_R2

Victim: Duke Blue Devils
Opponent: South Carolina Gamecocks
Location: Greenville, South Carolina
Date: March 19, 2017

Suspects

1. Mike Krzyzewski

His historical greatness is undeniable, but that doesn't absolve Coach K of fault. The Hall of Famer constructed a roster this season that was as flawed as it was talented, and it ultimately came back to bite him. Krzyzewski failed to find a point guard capable of complementing his abundance of wings, and was unable to develop his frontcourt, as prized recruits Harry Giles and Marques Bolden fizzled ... which leads us to the next suspects.

2. Harry Giles / Marques Bolden

Few players garnered more hype coming out of high school than these two, but the pair of five-star recruits combined to average a paltry 5.1 points and five rebounds per game in 2016-17. Giles hit double digits in scoring just twice all year, while Bolden struggled just to find minutes as the season progressed. The two forwards combined for zero points in the defeat, as Duke fell well short of its preseason expectations.

3. HB2 law

South Carolina got to play in front of a house full of Gamecocks fans, and has the HB2 law to thank. This contest was initially slated to take place in Greensboro, N.C., but was relocated to Greenville, S.C., along with the other Round 1 and 2 contests by the NCAA amid concerns over the controversial bathroom bill instituted in the state of North Carolina. It's reasonable to suggest that Duke would've performed better in front of a crowd full of its own supporters, rather than its opponent's.

4. South Carolina

One cannot dismiss the brilliance of South Carolina in the final 20 minutes of its monumental victory. Sindarius Thornwell proved worthy of his SEC Player of the Year honor by scoring a game-high 24 points, while Chris Silva and Duane Notice acted as perfect accomplices with 17 points each to help execute the crime in Greenville.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)