Cooper Flagg, Duke basketball freshmen ‘figuring it out’ with Blue Devils

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Sion James: Blue Devils’ rookies ‘way ahead of the curve’

Jon Scheyer postgame press conference after Duke win vs Incarnate Word

Following Duke basketball’s rout of Incarnate Word, head coach Jon Scheyer discussed the Blue Devils’ performance at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

DURHAM — There’s a fact that can get lost in how talented the Duke basketball roster is this season.

The Blue Devils are 152nd in Division I experience, according to KenPom.com. Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach have been three of the Blue Devils’ five starters in each of the first 10 games this season.

All of those guys, as head coach Jon Scheyer pointed out, are being scouted and attacked in different ways for the first time as college players. 

“I really think each game they’ve taken a step,” Scheyer said after the fourth-ranked Blue Devils earned a 72-46 win against Incarnate Word on Tuesday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium. 

“For our freshmen, they’re maturity despite their age, I think it’s high level. They want to learn the game, they want to just understand how to play. Not just score the ball, they want to understand how to play. Again, we’ve got a ways to go, don’t get me wrong, but they’ve taken strides every game.” 

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The freshmen have taken their lumps for Duke (8-2, 1-0 ACC), particularly in late-game situations that led to the Blue Devils’ two losses against Kentucky and Kansas. But they’ve also learned from those mistakes, showing their ability to adapt and overcome in a big-time win against Auburn. 

“It’s just trying to get better every single day, kind of figuring out what the scouting report is gonna be and how different teams are going to try and play,” said Flagg, a 17-year-old who is averaging 17 points and nine rebounds through 10 games. 

He’s picking up on tendencies and adjusting to…

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Source link : https://www.fayobserver.com/story/sports/college/acc/2024/12/11/cooper-flagg-duke-basketball-freshmen-kon-knueppel-khaman-maluach-jon-scheyer/76835213007/

Author : The Fayetteville Observer

Publish date : 2024-12-11 09:04:00

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