Cooper Flagg's first marquee game ended in a crushing defeat.
The freshman phenom and potential No. 1 2025 NBA Draft prospect turned the ball over twice with 20 seconds left in No. 6 Duke's 77 against No. 19 Kentucky on Tuesday. -He played a big role in the upset loss of 72. Champions Classic.
Flagg first gave up the ball with both teams tied 72-72, then Kentucky took the lead on the next possession, and with less than 10 seconds left, it was back again with the teams up by two points.
“Coach (John Scheyer) trusts me to make plays,” Flagg said after holding all scorers to 26 points. “It didn't work out. I'm glad he trusted me and put the ball in my hands. I'm looking for that moment. It didn't work out. I'll keep looking no matter what. .”
Flagg, the No. 1 recruit in this year's class, is poised to become the next great Duke Villain, and there's been a lot of hype surrounding what is widely expected to be his only season in Durham. are.
The 17-year-old is 6-foot-9, has a smooth stroke from the outside, and has a solid skill set and size that some fans hope will be tanky enough for the team to acquire him next year. I have it.
Tuesday marked his first prime-time showdown with a fellow heavyweight program, and Flagg showed why he's so highly regarded, posting 26 points on 9-of-19 shooting and 12 rebounds.
However, what stands out in this game are the turnovers.
The first incident occurred when Flagg lost the ball on his way back to the hoop. Duke fouled Kentucky in transition, giving the Wildcats a 74-72 lead with 10.3 seconds left.
On the next possession, Flagg dribbled into the corner and slipped while trying to get to the basket. He briefly lost possession of the ball and the referee ruled that he went out of bounds.
Another foul put them down 75-72, but Kentucky missed the free throw and got the offensive rebound, almost clinching the game.
Flagg said he may have slipped on the final play, but it didn't matter.
“No matter what happened, it's not an excuse and we have to move forward,” Flagg said.
Scheyer said he could have done a better job of helping the freshman phenom under those circumstances, and was amazed at Flagg's performance and said he couldn't be more proud.
“The ball is in his hands. I think they knew it was happening and I'm okay with that,” Scheyer said. “We're spending a lot of these moments together and I trust his instincts and to be honest, I probably could have put him in a better position. You have to touch it and believe that good things will happen, and I want to say that every time you do it well, but that's not reality.
“I'm so proud of him, dude. What he did in that game was show us the will in that game. … I want him to touch me all the way. is.”
Flagg is averaging 19 points and 10 rebounds in three games and will have a chance to redeem himself in Duke's next blockbuster game against No. 9 Arizona on Nov. 22.
