Duke proves ‘toughness’ minus Flagg to win ACC

• David HaleMar 15, 2025, 11:04 PM ET Close College football reporter.Joined ESPN in 2012.

• Graduate of the University of Delaware.CHARLOTTE, N.C.– No

Cooper Flagg, no issue for No. 1 Duke, which claimed the ACC tournament champion with a 73-62 win over Louisville on Saturday night.Flagg’s first-half ankle injury in the Blue Devils

‘competition opener versus Georgia Tech became the greatest storyline surrounding the projected NCAA tournament 1-seed, however the Blue Devils’depth offered the larger narrative thrust. Duke removed a five-point halftime deficit Saturday night, dominating on defense in the second half to snap Louisville’s 11-game winning streak. “It says a lot about our strength as a team,”center Khaman Maluach stated.

“It states a lot about the other guys who stepped up in huge minutes. “As coach Jon Scheyer accepted the tournament champion trophy, Flagg stood

toward the back of the stage, holding an”ACC champs”foam placard. He made cheers from the raucous crowd as he rose to cut down his share of the internet. But beyond that, Flagg’s total contribution to Duke’s 3 wins in Charlotte was 2 points in 15 minutes of action.Editor’s Picks 2 Associated That need to change as Duke turns its attention to the NCAA tournament.Scheyer had actually been blunt in acknowledging

there was little point in pushing Flagg back onto the court for the ACC tournament after”an excellent sprain “of his ankle in Thursday’s

win over Georgia Tech. X-rays came back negative, and Scheyer stated he saw real progress in Flagg’s recovery throughout the weekend. Flagg didn’t stroll with a visible limp in the postgame celebrations, however he didn’t go through any pregame warmups Saturday either.Duke validated to the NCAA choice committee that Flagg’s injury wasn’t major, and he is completely anticipated to play, reducing any issues about heaven Devils’seeding in the NCAA competition.”I do not know who stated that,”Scheyer stated after Saturday’s win.”I didn’t state that directly, but that’s precisely my intention. It’s trending in a fantastic way where Cooper will be ready to go right away in the NCAA competition.” Duke’s Kon Knueppel earned tournament MVP honors after scoring 18 points in Saturday’s ACC competition final. Jim Dedmon/Imagn Images Without Flagg for the past three games, it was Duke’s two other forecasted lotto picks from its freshman class who dealt with company. Kon Knueppel won tournament MVP honors, scoring 18 indicate choose 8 rebounds in Saturday’s win over the Cardinals. Maluach was a force on defense throughout the competition run, and he was maybe the greatest consider suppressing Louisville’s offense in the second half of the title game. Maluach ended up Saturday with 8 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks, as he totaled 28 boards and eight blocks in three competition games.”I see it every day, and I understand how valuable they are, “Scheyer stated.”But you do have to step up to do more. Cooper just does so much for us. Kon’s truly been our go-to guy. To see the versatility of other guys stepping up like Khaman. However I informed them, you don’t need to do anything special. You have to do the easy things actually well, and those unique plays will naturally take place, which’s precisely what happened for Khaman and Kon. “If there was any doubt about Flagg’s real effect, however, it was seen less in the reality that Duke held the trophy at the end of this tournament than in how it happened. In the regular season, Duke won 13 of its 20 ACC games by 20 points or more. In Charlotte, it trailed Georgia Tech at the half, almost blew a big lead versus North Carolina and had to

come back from a halftime deficit versus Louisville on Saturday.Flagg wasn’t the difference, but he did supply a healthy margin. Finding out to live without that, Scheyer said, could be crucial as the Blue Devils proceed to their next, bigger objective. “We’ve approached the entire year to finish what’s right in front of you, “Scheyer said.”For us to be checked these last three games the method we have, we’re going to discover a heap from it. It’s going to give us extra

inspiration and lessons to move forward.”