Cooper Flagg did a little bit of everything as Duke cruised to an easy 86-35 win over Wofford at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday.
The freshman sensation had a season-low eight points on 3-of-8 shooting, but he still came close to a triple-double with nine rebounds and six assists. He also contributed three steals and two blocks on defense.
If there’s a complaint about Flagg’s game through four starts in college, it’s that his shot isn’t falling right now. He is shooting 44.2 percent overall and 22.2 percent from three-point range.
The reason Flagg is a special prospect and the frontrunner to be the top pick in the 2025 NBA draft is because of the ways he is impacting games even when he’s not making shots. He has at least two blocks in three straight games and at least seven rebounds in all four games to start the season.
Amy Murray@VTDukefan
I knew Cooper Flagg’s skill set was off the charts but he’s way, way better than I thought. He does so many important things on the floor that don’t show up on the stat sheet that impacts the game. Truly amazing to watch.
riley@rileyricharrds
Cooper Flagg just doing it all right now. <br><br>He’s only got 5 points. <br><br>But the defense is incredible both on ball and in the passing lanes. The playmaking (5 assists) has been good. The rebounding is excellent. I see no reason he won’t average 8+ rebounds in the league.
BKN 85@brooklynnets85
Cooper Flagg’s rebounding really impresses me<br><br>He flies for tough boards in traffic constantly
RJ Barrett Killed Basketball@spainpnr
People still not understanding that Cooper Flagg is 17 lol<br><br>Yall would have looked at Kevin Garnett out of HS and labeled him a role player because of a fundamental lack of understanding of how players are supposed to look at certain ages and how rapid dev is in the teens
This game wasn’t necessarily representative of how the rest of the season will play out for Flagg or Duke. It was over almost as soon as it began when the Blue Devils jumped out to a 19-5 lead in the first eight minutes.
Duke’s defense was swarming an overmatched Wofford team. The Terriers scored just 14 points in the first half, tied for the second-fewest allowed by Duke since 2015 when the NCAA adopted the 30-second shot clock.
Wofford shot 29.6 percent from the field, attempted just three free throws and committed 19 turnovers.
#DukeMBBStats@DukeMBBStats
Fewest points allowed in a half (30-second shot clock era)<br><br>13 vs. Eastern Michigan 1H (11/14/18)<br>14 at Notre Dame 1H (1/31/22)<br>14 vs. Wofford 1H
Duke Basketball@dukebasketball
The Duke defense is a pack of hungry jackals, giving Wofford absolutely zero room to operate. The entirety of the paint is a no-fly zone, having forced the Terriers into shooting 27 of their 41 attempts from beyond the arc.
Conor O’Neill@ConorONeill_DI
Yellow Legal Pad unofficial points per possession for Duke in 1st half:<br><br>Offense: 1.59 ppp<br>Defense: 0.42 ppp
Tyrese Proctor led Duke’s offense with 15 points on 4-of-7 three-point shooting. Isaiah Evans contributed 14 points off the bench with all of four of his made field goals coming from behind the arc.
Patrick Ngongba II was terrific on the glass with five offensive rebounds. The freshman center also scored his first career points midway through the first half on an assist from Flagg.
Duke Men’s Basketball@DukeMBB
And the first career Duke bucket for <a href=”https://twitter.com/NgongbaPatrick?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@NgongbaPatrick</a>!<br><br>Nice dime from Coop <br><br>Watch the game on <a href=”https://twitter.com/accnetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@accnetwork</a> <a href=”https://t.co/N8uyvcpYeZ”>pic.twitter.com/N8uyvcpYeZ</a>
This was a good get-right game for Duke following a tough loss to Kentucky in the Champions Classic on Tuesday.
Things are going to get considerably more difficult for the Blue Devils coming up. Their next two games are against No. 9 Arizona on Friday, followed by a matchup with top-ranked Kansas at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Nov. 26.
