Duke Basketball: Jon Scheyer Identifies 'Separator' in Cooper Flagg

Duke basketball signee Cooper Flagg brings a winning demeanor to every game he plays.

Duke basketball recruiting signee Cooper Flagg / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

It's been a while since incoming Duke basketball forward Cooper Flagg, No. 1 overall on the 247Sports 2024 Composite, was on the losing side in a basketball game. As Mr. Basketball USA this past season, his Montverde Academy (Fla.) went 33-0 and captured the 2024 Chipotle High School Nationals title.

And as his future head coach, Jon Scheyer, suggested during an appearance on the ACC Network this week, it's no coincidence the clear-cut best prep team in all the land had the 6-foot-9, 200-pound Flagg on its roster:

"It's been a joy to watch him play in high school," Scheyer, fresh off constructing a loaded roster for his third season at the helm in Durham after compiling back-to-back 27-9 campaigns in his first two years as a head coach, told the ACC PM crew. "No matter when I've seen him, if it's Sunday morning at 8 a.m. after playing for a few days, whether it's watching him play on ESPN in the national championship game this year, he always plays the same way.

"He always competes, 100 percent effort. And I think that's the separator. Obviously, you look at his athleticism, talent, size, and skill — it's off the charts. But to me, it's how he competes and who he is as a teammate."

“He always competes, 100% effort, and I think that’s a separator.”

Jon Scheyer on Cooper Flagg and @DukeMBB’s No. 1 ranked recruiting class 😈📈 pic.twitter.com/2xN5al2MD9

— ACC Network (@accnetwork) May 15, 2024

Cooper Flagg will join 2018-19 one-and-done RJ Barrett as the only two Duke basketball players to ever arrive in Durham with a 1.0000 composite rating on 247Sports.

Following a #ChipotleNationals title, Cooper Flagg showcased his versatility in front of numerous NBA scouts at the Nike Hoop Summit scrimmage 😤@Cooper_Flagg | @usabjnt pic.twitter.com/G9x4KxWd6Q

— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) April 12, 2024

The potential No. 1 overall pick at the 2025 NBA Draft is part of a six-deep Duke basketball recruiting class that features four other composite five-stars in Khaman Maluach, Kon Knueppel, Patrick Ngongba II, and Isaiah Evans, plus four-star sharpshooter Darren Harris.

They'll be alongside two returning scholarship Blue Devils in Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster, as well as four inbound transfers in Maliq Brown, Mason Gillis, Sion James, and Cameron Sheffield.

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Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country on SI for more Duke basketball news.