Duke freshmen shine in their college debuts against Maine

Flagg is the third No. 1 overall recruit to play for the Blue Devils in the last seven years (R.J. Barrett, Marvin Bagley).

The six-foot-nine 17-year-old hails from Newport, Maine but played his high school ball at Montverde Academy in Florida. He reclassified to the class of 2024 and enrolled at Duke in the summer to participate in the team's offseason camp.

Monday's matchup with the Black Bears was no coincidence on Duke's schedule. Flagg's mother played collegiately for Maine and his twin brother, Ace, is committed to the program starting in 2025. Head coach Jon Scheyer told the ACCN broadcast it was the team's way of honoring the Flagg family.

Flagg is one of the most anticipated freshmen entering this season, signing a shoe deal with New Balance and becoming the first men's college basketball player to be sponsored by Gatorade. His NIL value is estimated to be $2.6M according to Sports Illustrated.

Working in tandem with Flagg was Knueppel, the No. 19 overall recruit this year. He led the team in scoring with 22 points, splashing a treble of critical three pointers.

The duo's performance Monday appeared to be a continuation of the team's domination of Arizona State in a charity exhibition on Oct. 27.

Flagg and Knueppel combined for 28 points, seven assists and nine rebounds in the 103-47 thumping over the Sun Devils.

Duke will next face Army at home on Friday before traveling to Atlanta on Nov. 12 for a marquee matchup against No. 23 Kentucky.