Duke basketball's Jon Scheyer identifies key reason behind George Mason blowout

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Duke basketball star Cooper Flagg continues to showcase his impressive skillset, which was once again on display in the dominant win over George Mason on Tuesday night, 68-37. Consequently, as Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer looks to better his team, he will speak about certain aspects of their performance that put them on a positive trajectory.

In the win, it was their defensive effort that was impressive as the Blue Devils held the Patriots to an abysmal 29.4 percent shooting from the field and just two of 17 from beyond the arc. Scheyer would say that he was “proud” of how his team played defense against George Mason, according to David Shumate.

"I'm just proud of our defense to hold them to 47 points,” Scheyer said. “We've been off for a week, and we missed some shots, but we guarded so well and did so without fouling, which was a big key. I'm really proud of the defensive effort."

Duke basketball’s Jon Scheyer shouts out Cooper Flagg in win

The possible future first-overall pick in Duke basketball’s Flagg led the team with 24 points and nine rebounds as he shot seven of 20 from the field to go with four assists and three steals. Scheyer would open his post-game presser speaking about the best aspects of the win to go along with his respect for their opponents, according to 247 Sports.

“I thought it was a really good win for us,” Scheyer said. “I have a ton of respect for Tony Skinn, George Mason, and their team. Coming in, they were 7-and-3. They lost two games that they either should have won or could have won. They’re experienced, incredibly well-coached, and disciplined. We knew how tough they were on defense. And for us, having a week off, we’ve obviously worked on a lot. I thought we had good carryover. I think there’s obviously a lot that we can do better. Khaman [Maluach] impacts the game in so many ways. Protecting the rim, had eight rebounds, guarding two really good big men.”

“And I thought Sion [James] had such an impact on winning,” Scheyer continued. “He had a +31. And then throughout, I thought we made winning plays, and our defense really drove us. I loved Cooper [Flagg]’s aggressiveness. I thought Cooper was really aggressive, putting pressure on the defense. I think for many young guys, you get caught up in percentages and numbers sometimes. And for him, he was a warrior out there, with 24 [points], nine [rebounds], and four [assists]. I think that comes with his competitive spirit and being in attack mode. We need him that way.”

Cooper Flagg pays his respects to George Mason

Flagg would also share his respects for George Mason when speaking to the media after the win.

“That was a great team, extremely physical, scrappy,” Flagg said. “They played really composed and with a lot of poise. It’s a team that, if you’re not careful and you don’t come out with the right mindset, they can really jump on you. I thought we came out with a great mindset, a very defensive-based mindset, and I thought we did a great job.”

The Duke basketball team now has a 9-2 record, 7-0 at home, as their next game is against Georgia Tech on Saturday afternoon, looking for six straight wins.

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