Duke’s Cooper Flagg Dazzles in Conference Win

In a win over Virginia Tech, Duke’s Cooper Flagg shone with 24 points and five stocks.

Dec 21, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Cooper Flagg (2) on the court abasing the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the first half at McCamish Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The 2025 NBA Draft class is already garnering hype as one of the best in years, largely due to the effort from its stars near the top.

Cooper Flagg, Duke’s 6-foot-9 two-way forward, is one of those. And he only seems to be getting better as the Blue Devils churn through their season.

Against Virginia Tech on Tuesday, Flagg truly showed every facet of his game, a rarity so far in his lone collegiate season. He scored 24 points on good efficiency, hitting nine of his 14 total shots and even shooting 50% from beyond the arc on four attempts. Even more, he added three rebounds, six assists, four steals and a block.

While it's been known that Flagg can excel on both sides of the ball, he hasn't done both in excess this year.

Duke would go on to beat the Hokies, 88-65, to improve to 11-2 on the season, and remain undefeated in ACC play.

Aside from the team’s point guard in Tyrese Proctor, the Blue Devils ran through Flagg, with him getting buckets in a variety of ways, as well as his 6-to-1 assist to turnover ratio.

While Rutgers Guard Dylan Harper has made the No. 1 conversation interesting — averaging 22.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game — Flagg will surely land No. 1 on some team’s boards due to his combination of size, fluidity, athleticism and all-around production.

The fourth-ranked Blue Devils will continue their season against SMU on Saturday, Jan. 4, as Flagg continued his campaign to become the league’s top pick.

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