Cooper Flagg had one of the single greatest performances in college basketball history. His 42 points against Notre Dame marked a new record for any ACC player.
Nonetheless, it didn’t come without a price. He went to the line 17 times, knocking down 16 free throws. He didn’t shy away from contact, but the Fighting Irish kept being overly physical with him.
That’s why coach Jon Scheyer lost his temper. The officials called Flagg for an offensive foul for seemingly pushing off on a drive. He had clearly been held first, so Scheyer emphatically went after the officials, being called for a technical foul. Even so, he has no regrets.
Jon Scheyer won’t stop defending Cooper Flagg
“People are going to do things to try to make it easier to guard him,” Scheyer said. “And grabbing and holding is going to be something that’s there. So it wasn’t just one play isolated for me. It’s just understanding that he does get hit.”
Duke Blue Devils guard Cooper Flagg (2)
Scheyer doubled down on his determination to defend Flagg when he’s getting hit. Then again, he also made it loud and clear that he had no ill feelings towards the referees:
“Again … I have a ton of respect for those three officials, the officiating in our league. But I’m also going to advocate for our guys when I feel like something isn’t being called the right way or respected,” he added.
As a player, you always want to know your coach has your back. And while Scheyer could’ve handled things a little differently, he won’t apologize for standing up for his players.
