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In his first (and probably only) season of college basketball, Duke star Cooper Flagg has had no shortage of national exposure early in the season. Duke basketball has played an absolutely loaded non-conference schedule that has exposed Flagg to the best of the best around the college basketball landscape.
His early results have been mixed. Flagg's impact has been felt throughout each and every game, as he has flashed the traits that make him the presumptive No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. However, late turnovers by the freshman phenom have cost Duke in losses against Kansas and Kentucky.
On Wednesday night, Flagg had no such troubles. It wasn't a perfect performance from the Blue Devils, but they showed plenty of resolve and potential in a very impressive 84-78 win over a No. 2-ranked Auburn team that was coming off of one of the most impressive preseason tournament runs in recent history on its way to winning the Maui Invitational.
This is Duke's second big win of the season after they picked up a huge road victory in a hostile environment against Arizona earlier in the slate. With Wednesday night's victory, Flagg and company cemented themselves as a team that will be a force to be reckoned with moving forward.
Let's take a look at Flagg's performance in the big win on Wednesday at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
All of Cooper Flagg's skills were on display on Wednesday night
Overall, Cooper Flagg had a big night against an Auburn team that is very difficult to play against. Bruce Pearl and the Tigers put a ton of pressure on you to execute on the offensive end of the floor. Their athleticism, energy and activity outs a lot of pressure on ball handlers and allows them to force a ton of turnovers. Coming into this game, it was fair to question whether Flagg, who has struggled with turning the ball over at times this season, would struggle with the pressure that Auburn was going to put on him.
Flagg passed the test with flying colors. The former Monteverde Academy star stuffed the stat sheet with 22 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks. Maybe most impressively, Flagg didn't turn the ball over at all despite carrying a heavy workload on the offensive end of the floor.
All of Flagg's skills were on display. His smooth jump shooting, ability to finish through contact with touch around the basket, rebounding, defensive activity and viability as a secondary ball handler were all prominent parts of this performance, which was one of his most impressive of the season.
The defensive end of the floor is where things come naturally for Flagg. His size, length and instincts make him a menace as a weak side defender, which Duke allows him to do by playing him at the four. He blocks a ton of shots and picks off plenty of passes on that end, and his presence makes Duke one of the best defenses in college basketball. That was on full display on Wednesday night with his five stocks. By the end of the game, Flagg was clearly a major deterrent for Auburn's guards driving in the lane.
Offensively, the last month has been a bit of a learning curve for Flagg, and it still is to a degree. His handle is still a little bit loose for this level, especially in tight quarters in the lane. Flagg is more than capable of running the break in the open court, but he still struggles to beat defenders off the dribble in the half court. That leads to Flagg taking more than his share of contested looks over the course of a game and can result in some inefficient nights, such as his 7-for-18 showing in this game.
The good news for Flagg is that he can still put up 20 points against elite opponents even with that weakness in his game because he's just that talented. He has great touch around the rim with either hand and isn't afraid of contact, calmly getting the ball up on the glass seemingly every time he gets into the lane. He is relatively unbothered by shot blockers and can score at will on the inside. In the mid range, Flagg's size allowed him to get off a couple of tough jumpers in this one, which he is more than capable of knocking down.
Flagg's improving playmaking was also on display as he found a couple of open teammates on the fast break for some key buckets, especially in the first half. He is also an absolute monster on the boards, vacuuming in rebounds time and time again.
The zero turnovers is probably the most impressive stat from this game, and it shows how quickly Flagg is learning the game and adjusting to the speed and size of elite college teams. Despite some minor inefficiency shooting the ball, this was probably Flagg's most complete performance against a big-time opponent this season.
Duke proves that it is a true contender with Auburn win
There was no reason for Duke to panic after a couple of very close losses against Kentucky and Kansas, two games that had razor thin margins and came down to the final seconds. However, if there was any concern around the country, that can be put to rest after Wednesday night.
Auburn came into Cameron Indoor Stadium as the hottest team in the country. However, this very young Duke team stayed with it blow for blow for 40 minutes and matched every punch that the Tigers threw. Seldom-used freshman Isaiah Evans drilled six 3-pointers in the first half. Cooper Flagg made big play after big play. Veteran point guard Tyrese Proctor hits a massive shot down the stretch.
Flagg ties the whole thing together and gives Duke one of the best players in the country. With one of the best defenses in America and a star that is improving on the offensive end, Duke is one of the true national title contenders in the nation.
