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Jon Scheyer says Duke star Cooper Flagg is unlike any other athlete he’s ever coached
He won a national championship as a player in 2010, and again as an assistant coach under the legendary Mike Krzyzewski five years later, in 2015.
Even in his brief tenure as Durham’s head coach, Scheyer has coached a number of outstanding players. However, in his third season as head coach of the Blue Devils, he is working with a player who is unlike any other he has ever coached. Scheyer boldly said that about freshman phenom Cooper Flagg, who has emerged as arguably the best player in college basketball in just his first season.
Flagg has helped Duke climb to No. 2 in the rankings, win 14 consecutive games entering Saturday night’s game against North Carolina (6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), and lead the Blue Devils to a 10-0 record in the ACC. All of this and more has left a lasting impression on his head coach, who was asked by ESPN’s Jay Bilas — a former Duke star himself — if he had ever coached a player like Flagg before.
“No. Cooper’s different,” Scheyer said on ESPN’s College GameDay on Saturday morning. “He has an excellent sense of how to win. The key plays in critical moments throughout the year have been off the hook.”
Scheyer admitted that Duke’s coaches had to convince Flagg to take over more in games because he is so selfless.
Duke HC Jon Scheyer to @JayBilas on if he’s coached anyone else like Cooper Flagg:
“No. Cooper’s different.” 😤 pic.twitter.com/yfhOFG7Weg
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) February 1, 2025
“At the end of the day, we’re at our best when Cooper is in attack mode,” Scheyer said.
Flagg has started all 20 of the Blue Devils’ games this season. He averages 19.9 points per game, along with 8 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.2 blocks in 31.8 minutes. Flagg shoots 48.7% from the field and 32.9% from three-point range.
He is currently the betting favourite to win the Wooden Award as national player of the year (-330 on FanDuel). He would be the first freshman to win the award since Zion Williamson in 2018-19, and only the fourth overall. Flagg is also widely expected to be the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
On Saturday night, Flagg will get his first taste of the Duke-UNC rivalry. Duke is a 13.5-point favourite on FanDuel.
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