There is no doubt that Duke basketball is a must watch this season because of freshman Cooper Flagg, projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft. Despite being a freshman, the Duke basketball team is favored to win it all because of Flagg's influence as he displayed his talents during an exhibition contest against Lincoln on Saturday which garnered a response by head coach Jon Scheyer.

Duke basketball's Jon Scheyer on Cooper Flagg's outing

Duke Blue Devils guard Cooper Flagg (2) dribbles the ball against forward Mason Gillis (18) with the ball during Countdown to Craziness at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

In the game, Flagg recorded a team-high 22 points to go along with two rebounds, six assists, and four blocks while shooting eight of 16 from the field and two of five from the three-point range. Scheyer would say after the game how the game of basketball comes organically to the 17-year old according to Andy Katz.

“He's a natural, and he has great instincts,” Scheyer said. “Obviously with how hard he plays, and then you add in his feel, he's going to make some special plays today, he had four blocks. Think he can even add in some steals preferably next time going for it. but i thought it was good for him, just I thought he was himself. I thought he even for Coop just he can rebound more, you know, just the decision. There's so much there for him. And I thought it was great for him to get a feel today though.”

Duke basketball's Jon Scheyer on realities with Cooper Flagg

Duke Blue Devils guard Cooper Flagg (2) is introduced to the fans during Countdown to Craziness at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

The Maine-native has always been a highly touted prospect for basketball as Flagg even impressed as part of the Team USA select team where there was noise of him doing impeccably well against NBA players. Scheyer has sung the praise of Flagg time and time again, even back in late September where he spoke about the type of expectations he has on him with the Duke basketball team according to The Athletic.

Article Continues Below
More NCAA Basketball News
Detail view of the logo and basketballs during NCAA Tournament West Regional Practice at Chase Center.
Former NCAA athletes to be paid $2.8 billion for lost NIL earningsBenjamin Adducchio ·
MLB's Senior Vice President & Deputy General Counsel Investigations, Compliance & Security, Bryan Seeley, speaks to our editorial board about sports gambling.
Former MLB exec to be new head of College Sports CommissionTroy Finnegan ·
A view of the NCAA logo and trophy before the 2025 Women's National Gymnastics Championship at Dickies Arena.
Judge approves NCAA House Settlement allowing schools to pay playersTroy Finnegan ·
Norfolk State and Duke women's basketball have agreed to a home-and-home series that is set to kick off next season.
Norfolk State, Duke agree to home-and-home hoops seriesRandall Barnes ·
Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson celebrates after his team defeats the Tennessee Volunteers in a game Sunday, March 30, 2025, during the Elite Eight round of the NCAA March Madness tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Houston defeated Tennessee 69-50.
What Kelvin Sampson wants for schedule after Houston championship game lossLorenzo J Reyna ·
South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley reacts during the first quarter in a semifinal of the women's 2025 NCAA tournament against the Texas Longhorns at Amalie Arena.
South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley takes talents off court for new analyst roleErin Achenbach ·

“I’ve seen a lot of different seasons, different hype, different expectations. With Cooper, I don’t know if we’ve ever had a 17-year-old with as much attention around him — and a lot of it rightfully so with the high school career he’s had and what he’s done,” Scheyer said.

“But we talk about all the things we can control. And that’s been our focus,” Scheyer continued. “Cooper does an amazing job of coming to practice to work every day. I don’t think he likes the attention, to be honest. I think he’s all about, he wants to be just like the other guys in terms of not caring about the attention, wanting to win, wanting to compete.”

It's important to remember that with how young Flagg is, he will have his highs and lows, even if he looks more polished as a basketball player.

“He’s 17. So, beginning of the season, he’s going to go through some stuff. That’s part of it,” Scheyer said.

“I want this to be — I want him to enjoy this year. I want him to enjoy the practices, enjoy being a student at Duke, enjoy with his teammates and obviously work like crazy to become a better player.”

Duke starts the season on Nov. 4 vs. Maine.