There were high hopes and expectations for the Duke Blue Devils entering this season. Cooper Flagg, the undisputed No. 1 prospect in college basketball, had all eyes on him long before he announced his commitment.
Then again, things haven’t been as smooth in Durham so far. Duke is 5-2 to start the season, including tough losses to No. 4 Kentucky and No. 1 Kansas. Moreover, Flagg had some miscues in crucial times in both of the losses.
Then again, the 17-year-old, who’s projected to be the first-overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, isn’t too bothered because of that. If anything, he knows it’s all a part of the learning process.
Cooper Flagg talks about Duke’s issues
“I think for us, it’s just about experience,” Flagg said. “We have some people, me included, that haven’t been in these types of situations before. So we’re just going to keep learning, keep doing our best. We trust each other, we trust the plays coach is calling. It just comes down to us executing and getting the shots that we want. And just comes with experience.”
NCAA, College League, USA Basketball 2024: Seattle vs Duke NOV 29 November 29, 2024: Duke Blue Devils guard Cooper Flagg (2) catches a lob during the NCAA Basketball game between the Seattle Redhawks and the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina. Greg Atkins CSM
Duke veteran guard Tyrese Proctor had similar thoughts about this issue. As much as people will point the finger at the star, it takes a team effort to get the job done:
“Everyone keeps talking about the turnovers and Cooper turning it over,” Proctor said. “I mean, it’s a sum of the whole game. We’re missing rebounds. We’re not getting back in D transition. That leads to turnovers that result in points. But, end of the game, we trust them to have the ball in their hands. We know they can make a play.”
Jon Scheyer wants Duke to play with toughness
The Blue Devils rallied late to get a 22-point win over Seattle on Friday night. Nevertheless, coach Jon Scheyer believes the game should’ve never been close to begin with:
“I just thought we were really soft in the first half,” Scheyer said after the win. “They were more physical with us. That’s two games in a row. They came out more physical than us on defense. We were softer. I thought we were rushing shots. We had too many turnovers. We need to finish stronger, drive stronger, make extra passes.”
Duke will now square off with No. 2 Auburn on Wednesday night. The Tigers are undefeated after seven games, and with a physical specimen like Johni Broome anchoring the paint, the Blue Devils will need to be a little more physical than usual to make a statement.
