On Wednesday night, Jon Scheyer tallied his first top-10 win as Duke basketball head coach. Less than 24 hours later, he was sitting courtside at the prestigious City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Fla., presumably salivating over his top-ranked 2024 recruiting prize in Montverde Academy (Fla.) five-star forward Cooper Flagg.
Yes, it's safe to say the 6-foot-9, 200-pound phenom didn't disappoint in his team's 95-55 quarterfinal victory over Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.) on Thursday evening. Flagg finished with a highly efficient 20 points across his 22 minutes of action, shooting 8-for-11 from the field, 2-for-3 beyond the arc, and 2-for-2 at the line.
He added seven rebounds, four assists, and one block while committing zero fouls and only one turnover.
His top highlight came right in front of Scheyer and two of his assistants, Jai Lucas and Emanuel Dildy, as Flagg saw an opening, asked for the ball, and aggressively attacked the basket for this thunderous slam:
No, Flagg didn't quite leap from the free throw line, as the play-by-play announcer claimed. It only felt like it in the moment, for his elite athleticism and go-go gadget arm length was on full display.
Cooper Flagg, one of five in the top-ranked 2024 Duke basketball recruiting class, next plays at 7 p.m. ET Friday.
If Paul VI Catholic (Va.) defeats IMG Academy (Fla.) late Thursday night, Montverde's semifinal matchup will feature Flagg versus a fellow future Blue Devil in four-star wing Darren Harris.
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