Cooper Flagg took a giant leap toward living his dream on Saturday night when his 16 points, nine rebounds, and three assists helped propel No. 1 seed Duke to an 85-65 win over No. 2 Alabama in the Elite Eight in front of 18,793 fans at the Prudential Center.
Flagg, the expected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, said earlier this season that his dream is to win an NCAA Tournament championship. He’s two wins away from earning that accomplishment before choosing whether to go pro or return to college basketball for another season.
Part of Flagg’s decision will rest on his relationship with head coach Jon Scheyer. Scheyer is set to make his first appearance next the Final Four with Duke in his third season as coach of the program. He played point guard on the 2010 Duke team that won the national championship.
Kelly Flagg: Cooper Flagg has a strong relationship
In an interview with CBS Sports, Cooper’s mother, Kelly Flagg, said her son would “run through a brick wall” for Scheyer.
“Cooper would run through a brick wall for that man,” Kelly said. “I’m kind of gushing, obviously, but Jon really is the greatest.”
Scheyer didn’t have easy shoes to fill when he replaced Duke legend Mike Krzyzewski, who won five national championships with the Blue Devils. Scheyer is 89-31 in his three seasons at Duke. The Blue Devils made it to the Round of 32 in his first season and made the Elite Eight in 2024.
Duke Basketball players have strong relationships with Jon Scheyer
Landing Cooper might have been Scheyer’s best coaching move since he took over in Durham. Kelly said that Scheyer has built a strong relationship with Cooper and the rest of the team.
“What Jon is about is building a relationship that is built on trust and respect,” Kelly said. “Cooper is a kid that wants to play for somebody who he trusts and who he respects, and it’s a mutual thing. Jon doesn’t berate his players. He doesn’t belittle them, but they’re playing for him as well. They love him, and they trust him, and they want to play as hard as they can.”
That formula is what more college coaches need to strive for. He’s the inverse of UConn head coach Dan Hurley.
Can Scheyer be a coach who makes fans cheer for Duke?
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