Cooper Flagg is looking more and more like a future No. 1 pick. The Duke basketball superstar kept the Blue Devils undefeated in ACC play with a dominant performance against SMU.
Flagg fueled his team’s 89-62 victory with 24 points and 11 rebounds on 7/12 shooting. The talented freshman also shot 2/2 from three and added three assists, two blocks, and a steal.
Flagg’s two-way explosion drew strong praise from many, including ESPN college basketball reporter Myron Medcalf. After the game, Medcalf shared his thoughts on Flagg’s recent surge via Twitter.
“Cooper Flagg has looked different over the last few weeks,” Medcalf wrote. “Feels like the game is slowing down for him. Really controlling the action on the floor and doing whatever he wants. He’s always been excellent but he’s moving to another level right now and it’s fun to watch.”
Flagg has recently found his rhythm from beyond the arc. Over his last four games, he is shooting 50.0% from 3-point range and averaging 21.3 points. The young phenom has put his versatility on full display all season, but he seems as comfortable as ever running the show at just 18 years old.
Even with head coach Jon Scheyer out due to an illness, Duke kept on rolling. Assistant coach Chris Carawell stepped in as head coach for the night and executed his job to perfection.
In his postgame press conference, Carrawell sent a confident message on Flagg’s impact for the Blue Devils.
“Coop was able to put pressure on the defense,” Carrawell said. “Any time he’s in that mode of attacking, it opens up a lot for us.”
Duke looks like a Selection Sunday No. 1 seed in the making. Armed with the best record in the ACC, the Blue Devils have been head and shoulders above the rest of their conference. Flagg’s growth and development have certainly helped a young Duke squad look like a group of veterans.
Duke will return to the court on January 7 against a sneaky Pittsburgh team that owns two separate four-game win streaks this season.
