Cooper Flagg sweeps ACC awards after huge win over Arizona
11/25/2024 04:11 PM
Duke men’s basketball freshman and presumptive No. 1 NBA Draft pick Cooper Flagg swept the ACC awards this week, winning conference player of the week and freshman of the week after the Blue Devils’ road win at Arizona.
The Blue Devils defeated the Wildcats, 69-55, on Friday night behind 24 points from Flagg. Just five games into his college career, Flagg is averaging 17.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, leading Duke in every major statistical category. He is the first Duke player to win both awards in the same week since Vernon Carey Jr. in 2020.
At only 17 years old, Flagg is adjusting quickly to the college game. There have been some bumps so far, as one would expect, including a botched final play at the end of Duke’s loss to Kentucky at the Champions Classic. Overall, however, the early returns have been overwhelmingly positive.
One of his opponents, Arizona’s KJ Lewis, shared exactly how tough it was to stop him.
"He's tall and athletic and can finish over a lot of bodies," Lewis said. "I don't know. He's just super athletic. We did a good job containing him in the first half, but then we went away from the game plan, didn't communicate and he found openings."
Kon Knueppel is the other Duke freshman to watch
Flagg cleaned up the ACC awards this week, but he’s not the only Duke freshman making an impression early in the season. Kon Knueppel, ranked 19th in ESPN’s class of 2024 high school rankings, has been one of the best freshmen in college basketball. — only overshadowed by his teammate.
Knueppel is averaging 14.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game, and is shooting 40% from three-point range.
Duke men’s basketball coacb Jon Scheyer is, naturally, thrilled with his two young stars.
"Kon is an old-school guy," Scheyer said. "Midwest, blue-collar. He might as well put his hard hat on every day he comes to the basketball court. He's a terrific defender. He has great feel. His body is ready for the college game. And his skill level is extremely high. But Kon is very similar to Cooper where he plays very hard all the time and has feel. That's a great combination to have."
Bleacher Report’s latest mock NBA Draft has Flagg going No. 1 overall, as expected, and Knueppel seventh.
"He's a great shooter, that's obvious," one scout told The Athletic about Knueppel. "But it's not just the shooting. His IQ is great. His feel, his understanding for how to use his body to drive. He's not a zero on defense."
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