
Duke’s Cooper Flagg, left, and Kon Knueppel (7) are interviewed after the Blue Devils defeated North Carolina on Saturday in Durham, N.C. Ben McKeown/Associated Press
The most hyped showdown to date in Cooper Flagg’s freshman season at Duke ended in another triumph for the Newport native.
Flagg made headlines going into and then coming out of a game against North Carolina, the Blue Devils’ top rival, by scoring 21 points in an 87-70 victory. It followed a 28-point performance in Duke’s 74-64 win over North Carolina State.
ACC play continues this week as Duke, winners of 15 straight, travels to face Syracuse and then a Clemson squad that’s just behind the Blue Devils atop the conference.
Last week
Flagg was the subject of an ESPN story, bringing attention to the fact that it was the debut for Flagg — the expected No. 1 pick in the NBA draft — in college basketball’s fiercest rivalry.
The moment wasn’t too big for the freshman. Flagg put his heralded versatility on display, scoring 21 points while adding eight rebounds, seven assists, three steals and a pair of blocks.
“It was an incredible game, incredible atmosphere,” Flagg said. “The students really brought it tonight, so it was just really fun to be able to play in front of them and get the win.”
It was the 21st game of Flagg’s Blue Devils career, but he admitted that Duke-UNC felt unique.
“(Coach Jon Scheyer) stressed to us was that this is just another game,” Flagg said, “but you could definitely feel a different energy in the gym tonight. It was definitely a little different.”
Against North Carolina State on Monday, Flagg added seven rebounds to his 28 points. Playing only two days after a victory over Wake Forest, Flagg scored 23 points after halftime to help Duke erase a 37-33 deficit.
“At halftime he got angry,” Scheyer said. “He had a chip. And sometimes when you do that, you forget about being tired. He had some all-time plays … just to will us back. That’s a credit to his spirit and what he did in that second half.”
The week ahead
Wednesday
Opponent: at Syracuse
Time: 7 p.m.
TV: ESPN2
Noteworthy: In Syracuse, No. 2 Duke will face another team that has enjoyed runs as a national basketball power. The Orange have made the Final Four six times, most recently in 2016, and won the national title in 2003.
But Syracuse hasn’t made the tournament since 2021 and it appears unlikely this year will end the drought. The Orange are 10-12, including 4-7 in the ACC, and have dropped four of their last six.
J.J. Starling has missed seven games but is Syracuse’s leading scorer at 17.9 points per game.
Saturday
Opponent: at Clemson
Time: 6 p.m.
TV: ESPN
Noteworthy: Duke will hit the road again for a matchup between the two teams atop the ACC standings. Clemson (18-4, 10-1) has won six straight games and 9 of 10. The Tigers are unranked in the AP poll but No. 25 in the coaches poll.
Chase Hunter leads the Tigers at 17.2 points per game, while Ian Schieffelin (12.4), Jaeden Zackery (10.8) and Viktor Lakhin (10.4) are also in double figures.
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