Cooper Flagg sets Duke basketball record in Blue Devils' win vs Notre Dame

Cooper Flagg sets Duke basketball record in Blue Devils’ win vs Notre Dame

Posted by Admin January 11, 2025 Basketball

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DURHAM — The Cameron Crazies wanted Cooper Flagg to get 30 points, then they asked for 40.

Flagg, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft ,obliged as Duke basketball secured a 86-78 win against Notre Dame on Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Flagg set a single-game record for an ACC freshman with 42 points and nearly logged his first triple-double, adding seven assists and six rebounds in the 10th win in a row for the fourth-ranked Blue Devils (14-2, 6-0 ACC).

The 6-foot-9 freshman reached 30 points with just over 11 minutes left against the Fighting Irish (7-9, 1-4). He made a career-high four 3-pointers and knocked down 16 of 17 free throws. His two free throws with 25.7 seconds left got him to 40 points.

Khaman Maluach (19 points, 10 rebounds) and Kon Knueppel (13 points, 5 assists) joined Flagg in double figures.

Here are some other observations from Duke’s win vs. Notre Dame.

Cooper Flagg 3-point shooting, stats for Duke basketball

Outside shooting was one of the nitpicks from scouts about Flagg. His shot resembled a knuckleball at times early this season, but he appears to have found his command and the proper rotation to become a consistent 3-point shooter. Over the last six games, Flagg has knocked down 12 of his last 22 shots (54.5%) from long range. He drained a career-high three treys in the first half against Notre Dame, finishing 4-for-6 shooting from beyond the arc. Overall, Flagg made 11 of 14 shots.

Khaman Maluach also heating up for Blue Devils

Khaman Maluach, Flagg’s frontcourt teammate in the starting lineup, had a career-high 19 points against Notre Dame. The 7-foot-2 Maluach also pulled down 10 rebounds as a consistent menace on the interior. In addition to his rim protection and improved mobility as a perimeter defender, Malauch has become a consistent scorer and rebounder. He had 11 points and eight rebounds against Pitt.

Duke coach Jon Scheyer gets technical foul vs Notre Dame

Jon Scheyer only had one technical foul entering Saturday’s game against the Fighting Irish. Duke’s third-year coach added to that total late in the first half, sprinting out toward midcourt after Flagg was called for a charge. As livid as he’s been at any point in his time as the Blue Devils’ leader, Scheyer was punching air and screaming some choice words before being tagged with the technical. Scheyer picked up the first technical foul of his coaching career early last season against Bucknell at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.