Scheyer’s ‘honest’ talk fuels Flagg in Duke win

• David HaleJan 28, 2025, 12:32 AM ET

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  • College football reporter.Joined ESPN in 2012. Graduate of the University of Delaware.DURHAM,
  • N.C.– Cooper Flagg covered the first half of Duke’s

74-64 win over NC State with just 5 points, and throughout a late timeout, Blue Devils coach Jon Scheyer had some particularly pointed comments for his star freshman.”He told me I was being finesse, soft,”Flagg stated. “Coach is always honest with me about what he thinks. That’s what I require. It has to do with responding well, and hearing that helps me a lot.”He responded with force.Flagg installed 23 second-half points and included 5 rebounds, an emphatic block and 2 assists, consisting of a cool

meal to Sion James for a dunk simply as the shot clock will expire.Flagg’s fireworks keyed Duke, which removed a four-point halftime deficit to complete with a double-digit accomplishment. “In that timeout, I challenged him

because his game is not just about scoring but his game is about affecting winning in every element. He knew it.

Credit him for reacting.”Flagg said that kind of criticism from his coach is precisely what drew him to Duke, and Scheyer said Flagg’s willingness to accept coaching is one of the qualities that sets him apart

.”I might go on throughout the day about Cooper, how coachable he is,”Scheyer stated.”There’s perhaps a couple of times throughout the year where he’s not going to like whatever you say. A great deal of guys will combat it, not acknowledge it. It’s a credit to him and the relationship he’s allowed us to establish, informing each other the fact.”Editor’s Picks 2 Associated Scheyer chalked up some of Flagg’s early tentativeness to playing a 2nd game in 3 days– something Flagg hadn’t yet done– after a physical getaway versus Wake Forest on Saturday. The coach stated the slow very first half sparked Flagg

at halftime, nevertheless, getting him “a little mad. “Flagg said knowing experiences belong to why he came to Duke which Scheyer’s desire to “let me work through some things”is vital. But his takeaway from his five-point first half on Monday was that the time for taking a rear seats on the court is over. “It’s not a choice any longer; I have to be aggressive,”Flagg said.”What Coach has actually informed me is that’s going to create for everyone else. In the very first half, I felt that a little bit more– simply being passive and playing soft. I can’t create for anybody else that way. I can’t get anyone else

open if I’m playing soft. For me, it’s no longer an option of if I want to be aggressive or not. I need to be aggressive at all times.” In spite of Flagg’s heroics, NC State was within a point with 4:21 to play, as Duke struggled to retreat. But an extended break courtesy of Duke big man Khaman Maluach used a final possibility for heaven Devils to prep for a late push.Maluach had been taking fluids earlier in the game, but after a Wolfpack foul under

the basket, the Duke freshman turned and vomited along the baseline. Officials paused the game, and a clean-up team quickly gathered with a couple of dozen towels to absorb the mess. After the long hold-up, the game was stopped once again

as a Duke trainee was assisted of the stands after falling unconscious. A Duke representative said the student was fine and eventually left the arena under her own power.”That was simply a little bit of a breather to set up and get stops and go on a run,”said Flagg, who helped Duke end up on an 11-2 run after Maluach’s departure.” It was a break to collect myself.” Scheyer said Maluach had not been ill however was cramping.The two requiring contests in three days took a toll all around on Duke, Scheyer

stated, however the action he saw from his best player down the stretch was a pointer of just how much these Blue Devils have left in the tank. “Coop is a special guy, “Scheyer stated.”He got angry. He simply had a chip. And when you do that, you forget being tired

. And he had some all-time plays to will us back. That’s a credit to his spirit, what he performed in the 2nd half.”