Cooper Flagg makes strong statement on missing Duke’s final shot vs Houston

Many times, when all eyes are focused on a player or a team, if the outcome isn’t what was expected, it can turn out to be counterproductive. This is what happened last night with Cooper Flagg, who, after missing the shot that could have given the Duke Blue Devils a victory over the Houston Cougars, couldn’t hide his frustration with the result.

Flagg once again delivered a stellar performance for his team. Consistently leading in the stats, the star of Jon Scheyer’s squad could have sealed the Duke Blue Devils’ spot in the NCAA Tournament final, but the final play didn’t go as expected, and it was the Cougars who will face the Gators to decide the new champion.

Once the game ended, the Newport native spoke in the press conference about the key play that could have changed the final outcome for the Blue Devils in this thrilling March Madness.

“It’s the play Coach drew up,” Flagg said after the game. “Took it into the paint. Thought I got my feet set, rose up. Left it short, obviously. A shot I’m willing to live with in the scenario.”

J’Wan Roberts #13 of the Houston Cougars defends the shot attempt of Cooper Flagg #2 of the Duke Blue Devils during the second half in the Final Four game of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at the Alamodome on April 05, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas.

Jon Scheyer’s strong self-criticism

In losses, there are often those who take responsibility for the game’s outcome. In this case, the Duke coach Jon Scheyer offered a strong 5-word self-criticism after the Final Four loss to Houston.

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The consistent play of his team couldn’t be sustained, and consecutive turnovers gave the Cougars the opportunity to take the lead toward the end of the game. This is where Scheyer realized he didn’t reach his players in the right way to close out the game.

“I didn’t help them enough,” the head coach said. After the painful defeat, Duke was left without the chance to reach the March Madness final, something that many had taken for granted at the start of the season.