Duke Star Freshman Too Much for Arizona Wildcats To Overcome in Major Matchup
The Arizona Wildcats had a tough outing against the Wisconsin Badgers last week when they went on the road for the first time in the 2024-25 season.
Things didn’t get any easier in their next outing, as they were hosting the Duke Blue Devils at the McKale Center.
It was the completion of a home-and-home series that began last year when the Wildcats went to Durham and picked up an impressive victory.
The fans were raucous, an atmosphere that Duke head coach Jon Scheyer appreciated, but he was unaware that someone hurled a beer can at his players when they were heading onto the court for pre-game warmups.
It was a testament to how much he and his team were locked in, as nothing was going to distract them from exacting some revenge on the Wildcats.
"I didn't even see that," Scheyer said afterward about the beer-can incident, via Myron Medcalf of ESPN. "First of all, I thought the environment and atmosphere was top notch. I mean, people were respectful. I thought there was just a big-time college basketball crowd, but at the end of the day, the crowd doesn't control how you defend, how you sprint back on defense, how you take care of the ball."
More than 14,000 people jammed into the arena with some big names in attendance.
Former Arizona basketball stars Gilbert Arenas and Mike Bibby were sitting next to Phoenix Suns star Bradley Beal.
Behind the Blue Devils bench were his teammates Tyus Jones and Grayson Allen. Bryce and Savannah James were both there as well.
Despite having the homecourt advantage, the Wildcats were unable to play their game in a 69-55 defeat.
Normally a fast-paced team that gets up and down the court and crushes their opponents on the glass, Arizona was held in check in both areas. They managed only six fast break points and pulled down six offensive rebounds.
It was certainly a struggle slowing down star freshman and projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, Cooper Flagg.
He scored 24 points on 10-of-22 shooting, knocking down 2-of-5 3-point attempts and 2-of-4 from the charity stripe. His stat line was rounded out with six rebounds, three assists, one steal and two blocks as he made an impact on both ends in his 38 minutes of action.
"It was a high-level college basketball game," Flagg said. "It was really physical, and they're a very physical team. So I guess I found my footing [in the second half]."
The disappointing performance drops the Wildcats to 2-2 on the season, as their spot in the top 25 could be in peril after a second straight loss.
