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As Duke readies for the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 seed in the East Region, with Mount St. Mary's first on the docket, coach Jon Scheyer spoke with The Athletic about building out his roster.
Scheyer's Blue Devils went 31-3 this season and 19-1 in the conference, sweeping their way to a win in the ACC tournament despite missing Cooper Flagg, the superstar freshman who hurt his ankle in the conference tourney opener. Building around Flagg proved to be important--Duke was able to win without him.
“There was a vision that I had for how I wanted us to play, how we could put a team together,” Scheyer said. “You take the things that you really like, and you say, I’m not going to do the things you really don’t like. ... If you can have length, toughness and shooting, that’s a hell of a combo.”
But make no mistake, Flagg's return to the Duke lineup at something close to 100% (he will be active for the opener) will be crucial in the team's national championship aims. Flagg has fit so well at Duke, in fact, that there is talk that he might consider returning for his sophomore year rather than head to the NBA, where he surely would be the No. 1 pick.
With that in mind, longtime sports talker Dan Patrick asked CBS college hoops guru Seth Davis this week an interesting question: How much money, exactly, has Flagg made in his one year at Duke?
Between endorsements and straight payments from the school, Davis estimated the number to be $8 million.
"It’s a great question. If you want transparency, that’s what I’d like to know," Davis said. "I would guess in the neighborhood of $8 million, all-in. He’s probably getting $2 (million) from Duke and their whole collective.
"Cooper Flagg is a unicorn in terms of his marketability, I mean, he has got his own shoe deal. He’s at a Nike signature deal school and he’s got a New Balance deal. My hat’s off to him."
The rookie salary scale in the NBA calls for the No. 1 pick in 2025 to earn $11.5 million, though picks can (and usually do) sign for 20% more than that number. That would put Flagg's NBA payment next season at more than $13.8 million.
More must-reads:
- Lions CB undergoes shoulder surgery, will miss 2025 season
- Chargers LT Rashawn Slater carted off field in training camp
- The '2024-25 NFL passing-yard leaders' quiz
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Where Did Kansas Basketball Land In ESPN's Early Top 25 Rankings?
The start of the 2025–26 Kansas Jayhawks campaign is only a few months away. With that in mind, national rankings are beginning to settle into place. ESPN college basketball analyst Jeff Borzello released an updated version of his early top 25 on Tuesday. KU landed at No. 21 in his ranking, the same spot he gave the school in his last top 25 from June. That puts KU behind several Big 12 schools, including Houston (No. 3), BYU (No. 6), Texas Tech (No. 10), Arizona (No. 13), and Iowa State (No. 18). As a result, Kansas ranks sixth in the Big 12, according to ESPN’s updated outlook. The Jayhawks have made roster additions since Borzello’s last update, but it was not enough to move them up in his ranking. Highly touted freshmen Paul Mbiya and Kohl Rosario, along with Canadian point guard Nginyu Ngala, have all committed to KU this summer. Even with those reinforcements, Borzello’s evaluation of KU as a middle-of-the-pack top 25 team remains unchanged. Bill Self enters the season with a new-look roster as he hopes to bounce back from three consecutive early tournament exits. ESPN Lists Kansas’ Best Nonconference Game Borzello pinpointed the Nov. 7 road game against North Carolina as the top nonconference contest on KU’s schedule. It will take place in Chapel Hill at the Dean E. Smith Center, marking the second half of a home-and-home series. The Jayhawks hosted the Tar Heels in Allen Fieldhouse last year and came out on top in a thrilling finish. This time, they will trek out to face the team they defeated in the 2022 national title game. While UNC is expected to take a step back this season, it is still a matchup between two of the sport's greatest programs. Between the connections to Dean Smith and Roy Williams and several key March Madness outcomes, the game will carry significant historical weight. It may not be the toughest game on the nonconference slate, though, with KU set to face Duke, UConn, and NC State later on, among other opponents. The North Carolina game is just the second of the season, following a home opener against Green Bay. As Borzello noted, it will be a crucial early-season test for incoming freshman Darryn Peterson and KU’s other youngsters to show how ready they are. "The following week's game against Duke at Madison Square Garden is a stiffer test, but the earlier we see Darryn Peterson, the better," Borzello wrote. "Peterson is ESPN's projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA draft, and a true road game in Chapel Hill the first week of the season is a great test. This is also as unproven a Bill Self roster as we've seen in some time."
Chargers star's brutal injury shows why players should hold out with new contracts on line
Los Angeles Chargers offensive tackle Rashawn Slater was carted off the practice field on Thursday afternoon with what turned out to be a significant injury. According to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, the two-time Pro Bowler suffered a season-ending knee injury. It's a massive blow to the team's offensive line and offense as a whole. It also serves as a harsh reminder as to why players will always — and should always — act on the side of caution when it comes to participating in training camp when they are seeking a new contract. In Slater's case, he's a lucky one because he just agreed to a new four-year, $114 million contract extension with $92 million in guarantees days before the injury happened. That contract was signed after he did not participate in some of the team's early training-camp practice sessions. If Slater had participated early on and had this injury happen before he was able to get his new deal signed, it would have been a devastating blow in his quest to get that pay day. Not only would the Chargers have had no incentive to pay him this season, but there is no guarantee he would have ever received that sort of contract in the future. Fans might not like the idea of a hold-out or hold-in, but you have to look at it from the perspective of the player. They have a very limited time to earn top dollar in the NFL, and there are never any guarantees. The hold-out/hold-in approach is not only a way to put pressure on the team to pay them, but it's also a matter of self-preservation. Football is a violent game. It's a physical game. It's a collision game. Injuries are always going to be a part of that. But injuries happen with much greater frequency early in the season, and especially in training camp, due to the fact that players are still working their way back into game shape and going through more intense and physical practices than they do at any point during the season. It's a dangerous time for them in terms of injuries, and that should not be overlooked when it comes to contract talks. Players have short careers and even less time to set themselves up financially. They should not be willing to take unnecessary risks when it comes to their earning power. The Slater situation shows just how delicate all of it is.
Dream Dealt Unfortunate News on Brittney Griner on Thursday
Neck pain isn’t usually headline news, unless it belongs to Brittney Griner. Atlanta Dream fans hoping for another dominant night on Thursday just had their mood checked. Griner is officially out again, and suddenly that winning streak feels a little more fragile. The Dream hit the road to face the struggling Chicago Sky, a team sitting at 8-21 and already missing rookie standout Angel Reese. But while the Sky limp into Wintrust Arena, the Dream aren’t walking in at full strength either. On Wednesday, the team ruled out Griner for a third straight game due to her lingering neck injury. According to the WNBA’s official injury report, she’s still not ready for game action. Griner’s absence is a blow. The nine-time All-Star has been averaging 10.6 points and 5.6 boards while shooting over 51 percent from the field this season. She signed with Atlanta as a free agent this offseason, helping turn the Dream into a serious contender after last year’s playoff sneak-in. But with their star center on the bench again, the Dream will have to get creative, and gritty. Brionna Jones, Naz Hillmon Set to Step Up With Griner out, Atlanta is expected to lean on Brionna Jones and Naz Hillmon to carry the frontcourt load. Jones, another offseason addition, has already started taking on a bigger role. The team will need her presence inside to stretch the Sky’s defense and crash the boards. It’s not all gloom, though. Griner’s "doubtful" tag before last week’s Mercury game was the same story, and she’s reportedly getting closer to a return. But Atlanta’s not taking risks with their veteran star, and they shouldn't. Still, with Rhyne Howard also sidelined due to a knee issue, the Dream are down two primary weapons. That makes Thursday’s game less about comfort and more about character.
Winners and losers from Eagles’ impressive preseason opening win over Bengals
The Philadelphia Eagles got off to a monster start to their Super Bowl-defending season as they took care of business against the Cincinnati Bengals 34-27 in the first preseason game of the 2025 season. Philly finished with 435 yards of total offense, and that was with most of the starters resting and not playing. The Eagles controlled the time of possession, holding the ball for over 31 minutes. The Eagles improve to 1-0 on the preseason thanks to multiple potential stars shining. There were some tough performances on the team, but plenty of good to be excited about for the rest of the preseason. Here are the winners and losers of the Eagles' win over the Bengals: Winner: QB Tanner McKee What a beautiful sight to see McKee dominate the Bengals' defense and never slow down with two and a half quarters played. He finished with 20 of 25 passes completed for 252 yards and two passing touchdowns, as well as one rushing touchdown. Outside of one almost interesting pass, he played a near-perfect game with Howie Roseman about to get his phone blown up with trade offers for him. Losers: CBs Adoree' Jackson and Kelee Ringo There's an understanding that the Eagles had their second-team defense against the Bengals' starters, but Jackson and Ringo looked out of place against Ja'Marr Chase. Jackson had some nice open-field tackles, but he and Ringo played real soft coverage on Chase, and he made them pay. Ringo had a nasty whiff on Chase's 36-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter. Jackson and Ringo must play better if they want to be starters on this team. Winner: OC Kevin Patullo Patullo was not afraid to throw the football early and often with McKee, but he called as good a first half as a first-time play caller could have. Nice balance between run and pass, and calling great plays to set his receivers up. The real question is how different the play calling will be when Jalen Hurts and the starters are on the field. Losers: Eagles' Lack of Pass Rush Outside of one Ty Robinson sack, the Eagles did not have much of a pass rush. The edge rushers did not play as well as fans would have liked to see, with only two quarterback hits. That will be something that needs to be monitored in the next two preseason games. Winners: WRs Ainias Smith, Johnny Wilson, Darius Cooper All four of these players are competing for the final few spots on the roster, and their decisions have made it difficult for Nick Sirianni and Howie Roseman. Undrafted rookie Cooper led the way with six catches for 82 yards and one touchdown. After a rough training camp, Wilson exploded with two contested catches and a back-shoulder catch that wowed fans as he finished with 73 yards. Smith caught a touchdown and had a 46-yard punt return, so good luck to the Eagles on making their final roster decisions.
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