Cooper Flagg scored 24 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out six assists playing 39 of 40 minutes in the Duke Blue Devils’ 63-56 victory over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Saturday.
Duke, the No. 2 team in the nation, improved to 17-2 and 9-0 against ACC opponents. It was Flagg who gave the Blue Devils the jolt they needed in the second half to inch away from Wake Forest. At one point, Flagg scored three times on a run of seven straight scoring possessions.
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Duke’s Cooper Flagg blocks a shot by Wake Forest’s Juke Harris in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)
On defense, Duke switched from man-to-man to zone to slow the Demon Deacons down with about eight minutes left in the game. Flagg admitted he never played zone before then. He finished with two blocks in the game.
Flagg’s legend is only growing ahead of his likely jump to the NBA. It’s a performance like the one against Wake Forest that only solidified him as a potential generational talent at the next level. It even left an indelible impression on Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes.
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Duke’s Cooper Flagg drives as Wake Forest’s Tre’Von Spillers defends in Winston-Salem, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)
“Generational,” he said when asked to describe Flagg. “I’ll give you an example – their leading scorer last year was the first pick in the second round. This guy will be the first pick in the first round. Big difference.
“He’s a tough guy to guard. He’s got all the tools. The great thing about him… is his unselfishness. That he really wants other people to succeed.”
Flagg is averaging 19.5 points, 8 rebounds and 4.2 assists this season. Duke has 12 games left before the conference tournament begins.
Duke head coach Jon Scheyer speaks to Cooper Flagg, left, and Kon Knueppel during the Wake Forest game, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)
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Flagg and the Blue Devils are set for a game on Monday night against N.C. State.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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