The Duke Blue Devils have the best player in college basketball right now. Cooper Flagg has been deemed as the first-overall pick in the NBA Draft for years, and while he hasnāt been perfect in Durham, the potential is evident.
That showed up again in the win over Auburn. The talented forward showcased his entire repertoire, took over the game, and scored 22 points to hand the Tigers their first loss of the season.
Of course, everybody expects Duke to run most of their action through their coveted player. Nevertheless, coach Jon Scheyer doesnāt want him to do all the heavy lifting.
Jon Scheyer doesnāt want Cooper Flagg to win on his own
āWe put enough on him (Cooper Flagg) in the 37 minutes and it canāt just be him,ā the coach said. āFor me, coaching this team, I think maybe we got a little stagnant in the end of those games (losses). We have other really good players too.ā

Duke Blue Devils guard Cooper Flagg (2) crashes the boards on a free throw attempt during the NCAA, College League, USA Basketball game between the Seattle Redhawks and the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina
He still wants Flagg to be a factor
Needless to say, that doesnāt mean theyāre not going to make the most of his unique skills. Even if itās as a decoy, Flagg will continue to be at the forefront of what they do:
āYou wanna get movement. But, look, at the end of the day you still want Cooper to touch it because Cooperās gonna find the right guy,ā Scheyer said. āWe spend a lot of time on game situations, too. So, knowing what weāre gonna do where itās not just calling something random. Being in those moments is helpful, but also getting some movement and then getting into our action and Cooper touching it. I think thatās the balance we have to strike.ā

see also
NCAAB News: Dylan Harper officially challenges Cooper Flagg for top NBA draft spot

see also
NCAAB News: Duke stars get real on Cooper Flagg's turnover issues
The Blue Devils made a big statement in the win over the Tigers. Conference play will start soon, and itāll be interesting to see how the projected No. 1 pick deals with the pressure.





