“We have a great succession plan,” Coach K had said as he bid adieu to his legendary career with the Blue Nation. Turns out, he saw it all coming. The Duke Blue Devils sit menacingly atop the ACC conference, going a clean sweep in the last five showdowns. Continuing his tenure that has been off to the races, this season, Duke stands number one in the ACC, proudly boasting a record of 13-2. And even the rivals are admiring his work.

On Pittsburgh Sports Now, former Duke and current Pitts coach Jeff Capel had a lot to say about his old team while previewing the Pitts v Duke game. “They have unique talent, and then what Jon has done, the same way Coach K did, is allowed that talent to have freedom within structure…The guys that are unique, he’s allowed them and encouraged them and created an environment where they can be unique. When you do that, then you have a chance to have something special.”

No doubt, Duke has always had a unique talent. The likes of Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum, and Zion Williamson go far to prove Capel’s point. However, the coaching done at Duke played a large part in these players’ development.

Hence, drawing a full circle to the current head coach, Jeff Capel emphasized that Duke fans need to appreciate Scheyer and his efforts. “When you have unique talent like that, it takes unique coaching to be able to foster that. They have been very lucky, and I hope Duke appreciates it. Obviously with Coach, but I hope they appreciate what they have with Jon right now.” 

Coach Scheyer has been working hard to recruit players that will fit Duke, and develop them into stars. Players like Jared McCain, Derrick Lively Jr, and Dariq Whitehead are making Duke’s presence known on the NBA hardwood. And as for the match-up against Pitts on Tuesday? The Blue Devils annihilated the Panthers 76-47, with an astonishing 19 pt double-double from Cooper Flagg. And certainly, he stole the show.

It’s the Cooper Flagg show for the Blue Devils

Cooper Flagg has not let the fans down! The 6 foot 9 slasher is living out his dreams in front of millions, further building the hype that he could play in the NBA even today. If you take a look at Duke’s statistics, you will see only one face all across the board.

In an astonishing run, Cooper Flagg has been dominating the competition and leading the Blue Devils in every major statistical category. Points, rebounds, assists, blocks, steals, you name it, he’s done it.

It isn’t unexpected for top prospects to dominate, but this is something on another level. Flagg is averaging an astounding 17.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks. These statistics are the reason why comparisons with LeBron James are at an all-time high who himself praised the No. 2 Blue Devil for his playing style as he competed against the USMBNT before the Paris Olympics.

Cooper Flagg’s court vision, basketball IQ, and physical skillset make him out to be one of the most exciting prospects to come out of Duke. You can see a prime example of his dominance in the Blue Devils’ last matchup.

The Montverde alumnus showed no weakness in the matchup against the Pitts Panthers on Tuesday. Fourteen out of his nineteen points were scored before half-time, and his coast-to-coast dunk was something to watch! He shot 63% from the field and contributed further with 10 boards and 5 assists.

If the young man keeps playing like this, it won’t be hard to imagine him becoming the face of an NBA team soon enough. Flagg’s draft stock is as high as it could be considering his performance with Duke.

Still, there’s plenty of time before that. Cooper Flagg, Coach Scheyer, and the Blue Devils have a long way to go before the season ends. If they keep showing a united front, the Blue Devils might be able to add another ring to the cabinet this year. What do you think?