Cooper Flagg delivered an arguably complete performance in his first taste of the Duke-North Carolina rivalry, leading the Blue Devils to a 87-70 victory. The freshman scored or assisted on each of Duke’s first six baskets and finished with 21 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocked shots.
Flagg, dubbed a “savant” by coach Jon Scheyer, emphasized that his focus was on making the right plays for his teammates. He praised his ability to find his teammates and make plays for them, particularly in the first half.
Scheyer acknowledged that Flagg’s performance fell short of what he might’ve achieved if he hadn’t shown signs of fatigue towards the end of the game. Despite the lopsided win, Scheyer took responsibility for Flagg’s slow finish, citing that it’s rare to post such impressive numbers and still find room for criticism.
Flagg and fellow freshman Kon Knueppel were instrumental in Duke’s victory, with both players reaching 20 points and five assists. They became the first teammates from this rivalry to achieve this feat in 15 years.
The win marked a significant milestone for Flagg, who had previously sat behind the bench as a recruit. He credited the rivalry with adding motivation, citing the trash talk from UNC’s players during last year’s game. Despite pregame nerves, Flagg remained focused and executed his team’s game plan to secure the win.
Flagg expressed frustration with his own performance in the late stages of the game, attributing it to fatigue and poor decision-making. However, Scheyer praised Flagg’s overall performance, highlighting his ability to dominate the game while still showing room for growth.
Source: https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/43657415/cooper-flagg-leads-duke-blowout-win-rival-north-carolina