Cooper Flagg reacts to Jon Scheyer's 'curveball' during Wake Forest scare
Yesterday at 09:44 AM
Duke basketball star Cooper Flagg is opening up about how his team played against Wake Forest. Flagg says that he was a bit surprised that his coach Jon Scheyer shifted defenses in the game. Duke shifted to a zone defense at times during the game, to help lift the team.
"Have you ever played zone?" – Jon Scheyer
"Nope." – Cooper Flagg
This interaction pic.twitter.com/GbhKV86vKa
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) January 26, 2025
Following the game, Flagg was asked if he had ever played zone.
“Nope,” Flagg said to reporters jokingly, per ACC Network.
Scheyer defended the use of a zone defense to help stop Wake Forest’s strategy of pick and roll on offense. He even used a baseball term to explain his decision.
“It’s good to have a curveball, it just is,” Scheyer said.
The strategy worked as Duke was able to outlast the Demon Deacons, 63-56. Duke basketball remains undefeated in the ACC this season.
Duke making a charge for a no. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament
The Blue Devils are using a nucleus of talented freshmen this season, to charge through the ACC. So far, things seem to be working. Duke is 17-2 overall and 9-0 in the ACC.
The team’s most prolific freshman is undoubtedly Flagg, who was the no. 1 overall basketball recruit in the country heading into the season. Virtually every team in America wanted Flagg, who is considered a one-and-done player. This season, the freshman is averaging 19.5 points and eight rebounds a game.
Flagg is 6-foot-9, so his length in the zone defense seemed to bother Wake Forest. Duke was able to get enough stops to finish the game. The freshman phenom finished the contest with 24 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
Flagg’s performance won the praise and respect of Wake Forest head coach Steve Forbes, who thinks of Flagg as a special talent.
“Generational,” Forbes said, per ESPN. “He’s at that level. He’s going to play in the NBA for a long time.”
Duke basketball struggled on offense for a good amount of the contest. The squad’s 63 points is a season-low for Duke.
“We haven’t been in a ton of those positions,” Flagg added. “It was a big opportunity for us to show we can stay composed even when a team makes a run, and stay level-headed.”
Scheyer believes his team will be able to learn from this game. The zone is also something he may have to bring out again, as Duke marches on through the ACC and NCAA tournaments.
“You have to win one of these games in the tournament, in ACC play — it’s part of it,” Scheyer said. “We’ve earned it with how we’ve clicked on offense, but it’s only a matter of time [before there’s a close game.] It’s huge we could get a win and find a way without having our best stuff.”
Duke next plays North Carolina State Monday night.
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