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Cooper Flagg shows why NBA teams should tank for him in Duke win
Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) reacts to hitting a three-pointer during the first half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Cooper Flagg shows why NBA teams should tank for him in Duke win

By Eric Smithling  |  Last updated Jan 11, 2025 2:55 PM ET

Duke forward Cooper Flagg gave the NBA's worst teams something to hope for with his strong effort in an 86-78 win over Notre Dame on Saturday.

The outstanding freshman, a leading contender for the Wooden Award, given annually to the country's best college basketball player, had 42 points on 11-of-14 shooting, six rebounds, seven assists and a steal to lead Associated Press No. 4 Duke (14-2, 6-0 ACC) to its 10th consecutive win, the program's first regular-season 10-game win streak since the beginning of the 2017-18 season (11-0).

Per the ESPN broadcast, Flagg became the first Duke player with at least 35 points, five rebounds and five assists in a single game since head coach Jon Scheyer on Dec. 15, 2009, against Gardner-Webb.

This season, Flagg is averaging 19.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. The 6-foot-9 phenom was a five-star recruit out of high school and has been penciled in as the likely No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft since July 2024.

With performances like his against Notre Dame, it's obvious why.

Flagg can score at all three levels: close to the basket, midrange, and beyond the arc. He capped a 14-0 run to start the game with a corner three. Per Duke men's basketball's social media account, he scored or assisted on 25 of the Blue Devils' first 40 points.

Flagg added a career-high fourth three on a straightaway make in the second half to extend Duke's lead to 11, 57-46.

Per StatBroadcast, Flagg was 4-of-5 on jumpers, and he threw down a crowd-pleasing slam dunk, soaring through the lane to give the Blue Devils a 59-46 advantage.

Flagg set the Duke and ACC freshman single-game records for points. Per DraftKings, he became the first Duke player to score 40 points in a game since former shooting guard and current Lakers head coach JJ Redick (2006).

Flagg's already high NBA stock just went up. For teams including the Pelicans (8-31), Wizards (6-30), Raptors (8-30), Hornets (8-27) and Jazz (9-27), the race to the bottom has begun.

Eric Smithling
Twitter/X Muck Rack

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans

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