Here are a couple of other links about Pro Devils Weekend. First, Khaman Maluach got to get mentored by Dereck Lively, which, for a young big man out of Africa, is pretty amazing.

Rising star Cooper Flagg got to hang with three-time National Defensive Player of the Year Shane Battier. Talk about another role model. If you want a fun little mental experiment, imagine Flagg and Battier going at it.

Or for that matter, Maluach and Lively.

Interestingly, there was a time when people derided the big men who came out of Duke. In the last few years though, Duke has sent Lively and Mark Williams to the NBA and Maluach will follow them soon enough. That’s a solid new tradition.

Speaking of Flagg, on Wednesday he was named Newcomer of the Year and Preseason Second Team All-American by the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook.

Given the ripple effect of Covid and NIL, players are older now than they have ever been so it’s not a big surprise that he’s the only freshman on the four teams Blue Ribbon named.

In a few years, maybe Maluach and Flagg can return the favor for some younger Devils.