Durham, NC — Cooper Flag Cut across the court to catch an early kickoff feed and knock down a 3-pointer from the wing. Moments later, he was single in the left corner and confidently caught and scored for another 3.
No hesitation.
And there was no stopping until the 18-year-old accomplished something no freshman in ACC history had ever accomplished.
The 6-foot-9 Flagg scored 42 points to set the conference freshman single-game scoring record Saturday, helping to finish fourth. Duke kill Notre Dame 86-78. It was a performance that landed him a preseason Associated Press All-American alongside some of the most notable names in the history of the Blue Bloods program and its longtime league home.
“I was just playing outside,” Flagg said as he sat at his locker surrounded by reporters. “When I’m in the game, I don’t really know what’s going on. I’m just playing locked in.”
Flagg had long been mentioned as a potential No. 1 NBA draft pick before leaving his home state of Maine and moving to Durham. His every move on the court was dissected throughout the season, from late-game losses to No. 6. Kentucky And number 11 Kansas For his strong play in a marquee matchup that gave up No. 2. Auburn Its only downside.
This week provided the perfect example. Drowned in its coast-to-coast transition Pittsburgh A stunning win on Tuesday was the signature of a jaw-dropper and highlight reel. This time, he was electric from start to finish, finishing with the highest scoring output by a Duke player at home in its iconic Cameron Indoor Stadium since 1976 and surpassing Danny Ferry’s program-record 58 points. The most by any Blue Devil since. Miami In December 1988
Before Saturday, Flagg had a season-high 26 points.
“He’s being himself,” a teammate Seven James said. “And that’s the magic of Cooper Flagg, being himself, he’s not forcing anything. He’s just being a player, looking as they come. He’s seen something he likes, And 42 points later, here we are.”
Flagg made 11 of 14 shots in nearly 36 minutes, including 4 of 6 3-pointers, to continue his recently improved long-range touch. can go He served as the primary ball handler and attacked the paint, drawing 13 fouls while taking advantage of mismatches and getting to the line 17 times. (He made 16, a Duke freshman record.) Notre Dame had just 16 attempts as a team.
“It’s a huge part of the game if you’re able to get into the paint and get fouled,” Flagg said, “so I was kind of able to get it early and the paint tonight. I was able to stay.”
Flagg also had six rebounds and seven assists, including a high-low pass to a 7-2 teammate. Khamen Malouch for an alley-oop dunk on Duke’s opening possession.
“They’ve got the right mix of guys with him,” Notre Dame coach Micah Shrewsbury said. “If they had him and they didn’t have the shooting or they had guys who needed the ball and dominated the ball, it probably wouldn’t work. Around him, so it’s him. Makes a really tough match.”
Flagg called it one of his more aggressive offensive performances from the start, in part because he looked clean early to find a quick flow. As he continued to apply pressure, the fouls and contact kept coming — enough that Duke coach Jon Scheer had his own rare outburst, a demonstrative rage.
It happened after Flagg was called for an offensive foul in the first half to lead off a drive against Notre Dame. Matt Aluko. As Aluko hit the floor, Scheer practically ran from the sideline to the edge of the midcourt circle to yell “No way!” And yelling that Eluko grabbed the flag before waving it loudly in disgust as associate head coach Chris Kerwell tried to get him back to the bench.
It marked just the second technical foul of Scheer’s three-year head coaching career, though he was focused on making a big point.
“People are going to do something to try to make it easier to protect,” Scheer said of the flag. “And the catch and the catch is going to be something that’s there. So it wasn’t just a play for me. It’s just understanding that he goes away.
“Again…I have a lot of respect for those three officials, who are working in our league. But I’m also going to advocate for my guys when I feel like something isn’t done right. Being told or not being respected.”
By Saturday’s horn, Flagg had surpassed the previous ACC freshman record of 41 points. Boston Collegevs. K. Oliver Hanlan Georgia Tech In the 2013 ACC Tournament. Only two other rookies in league history, from both North Carolinahave reached the 40-point mark: Tyler Hansbrough (40) in February 2006 and Harrison Barnes (40) in the 2011 ACC Tournament.
Flagg hit the 40-point mark on two free throws with 25.7 seconds left as Duke took an 80-76 lead after squandering most of an 18-point cushion. He broke the ACC record with two more free throws with 4.9 seconds left, as the “Cameron Crazies” chanted his name as he drove to the line.
So how does a teenage basketball prodigy celebrate history? His plans did not seem so memorable.
“Probably just going to hang out with my teammates, have a cool night,” Flagg said. “There’s a great basketball game tonight.”