Duke basketball is led by freshmen this season, and head coach Jon Scheyer is fine with it. The Blue Devils got a pair of fabulous performances from diaper dandies Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, in a win over North Carolina Saturday.

“They absolutely feed off each other,” Scheyer said, per ESPN. “It starts with their competitiveness. They play both sides of the ball. They have high-level feel. … Add in their skill and versatility. Kon's posting and shooting and pick-and-roll. And everybody knows, Cooper's already doing everything. They have a great thing. There's a lot of maturity with both of them.”

Flagg and Knueppel each scored at least 20 points for Duke in a rousing 87-70 victory. Knueppel led the way with 22 points and five assists. Flagg poured in another 21 points, and grabbed eight rebounds. He nearly posted a triple-double for the squad.

Duke is now 11-0 in the ACC, and 19-2 overall this season.

Duke basketball is dominating the ACC this year 

Duke Blue Devils guard Cooper Flagg (2) looks to pass the ball during the second half against the Boston College Eagles at Conte Forum.
Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Duke basketball is playing like the no. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. The club has won 15 straight games, and Flagg and Knueppel are leading the way. Flagg is dominating nearly every stat category for the team this season.

Flagg was tough on himself after the North Carolina game. He said he felt winded, which dropped his intensity level.

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“It was a little bit of me being tired and making some dumb mistakes at the end,” Flagg said. “Being soft at the end kind of played into that.”

Duke's freshman star is averaging 20 points and eight rebounds a game. He played unselfishly against North Carolina, finishing the contest with seven assists.

“It might be [my best college game],” Flagg said, “but for me, I'm just trying to make the right plays. Four of the first six baskets I assisted. That's huge for me to find my teammates and make plays for them.”

Flagg and Knueppel accomplished a rare feat against North Carolina. The two players are the first duo of Duke hoopers to score at least 20 points and post five assists in this rivalry game since 2009, per ESPN. The last pair of guys to do that were Nolan Smith and Scheyer.

The Blue Devils are getting pushed in the ACC, but find ways to keep on winning. In a recent victory over Wake Forest, Scheyer had to switch things up and start calling a zone defense. Flagg, who said he had never played zone, settled in and Duke got some stops to win the game.

Duke next plays at Syracuse on Wednesday, and looks for their 16th straight victory.