Conference play is not supposed to be this easy for a freshman, even in a struggling ACC, but Duke basketball rookie Cooper Flagg is looking like a senior over the last five weeks of the season.
In league play, Flagg is averaging 23.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. The numbers are unheard of even for a player that is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
What makes it more impressive is how efficient he has been, making 59.5-percent of his field goal attempts while connecting on 55-percent from 3-point range and 88.1-percent from the free throw line.
His latest performance broke the Duke and ACC freshmen scoring record with 42 points in a victory over Notre Dame.
Now, what does he have for an encore?
The Blue Devils host lowly Miami on Tuesday night as its season as gone from bad, to worse, to just get to March already after Jim Larranaga decided to retire shortly after Christmas.
Duke has played better mid-major teams that what Miami has shown this year so it will be a tall task for Flagg to try and replicate what he did against the Irish given the likelihood that the Blue Devils runaway with this game early.
“Anytime we needed a basket, he came through,” Jon Scheyer said after Cooper Flagg rocked Notre Dame. “He just willed us. The fact that it translated to 42 is great, but to me, it was just his competitiveness and the timing of his key plays.”
Miami is allowing its opponents to score 76.3 points per game and 79.4 points per contest in league play. Its opposition has scored at least 80 points in its last three games, which have all been losses by at least ten points.
It has all the makings to be a very good offensive night for a handful of players on the Blue Devils, specifically Cooper Flagg who is chasing the ACC Player of the Year and National Player of the Year.
Another 40-ball is a tall task, but anything seems possible against this porous defense.
Tipoff is at 9:00 p.m. ET (ESPN) inside Cameron Indoor Stadium.
