Cooper Flagg, Duke basketball impressing ESPN’s Jay Williams, who lists title-winning traits

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Jay Williams has his No. 22 Duke basketball jersey hanging from the rafters inside Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Williams helped the Blue Devils put up one of the five national championship banners overlooking Coach K Court, leading Duke to a banner year in the 2000-01 season.

Now, the 43-year-old Williams is on the other side of his playing days as an analyst for ESPN. Still, he knows the title-winning traits required for a team to climb the ladder and cut down the nets at the Final Four.

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During College GameDay’s visit to Durham, ahead of Duke’s blowout win against rival North Carolina, Williams provided his insight on the second-ranked Blue Devils.

Jon Scheyer’s ‘blend of youth and experience’ on Duke basketball roster

Duke (19-2, 11-0 ACC), owner of a 15-game winning streak as the current favorite to win the national championship, is closing in on a No. 1 ranking in the polls for the first time since 2021 – that is, of course, if the Blue Devils keep winning and No. 1 Auburn takes a step back.

That success, Williams says, starts with third-year coach Jon Scheyer. In his first two seasons, Scheyer led the Blue Devils to a 54-18 record, including an ACC Tournament championship and Elite Eight appearance.

“Jon’s always had this disposition where he can critique you, but then he can also bring you closer to him. There’s that feel for people and the game from a teacher perspective that I think is uniquely different. And also, I think his youthfulness helps him in relatability terms with players,” Williams said.

“But there’s also that same standard of excellence. It has not dropped off from Coach K leaving the helm. I think, if anything, it’s been increased with a sense of urgency.”

Williams highlighted how Scheyer brought in a trio of…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/cooper-flagg-duke-basketball-impressing-090613726.html

Author : The Fayetteville Observer

Publish date : 2025-02-05 09:06:00

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