Dehydration and overuse are leading causes of leg cramps. They’re quite common in college hoops, albeit probably not to the degree that they have impacted a couple of 2024-25 Duke basketball freshman centerpieces in the early going of Jon Scheyer’s third season at the helm.

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Yes, whether it be a matter of more liquids, a deeper rotation, or better conditioning, one would think the bright minds in Durham will eventually improve upon their ability to prevent the setback that now seems on the verge of pervading Scheyer’s postgame press conferences.

Rookie guard/forward and projected one-and-done No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg dealt with the issue in each of the No. 6-ranked Blue Devils’ two blowout home wins leading up to their 77-72 defeat at the hands of the No. 19 Kentucky Wildcats at the Champions Classic in Atlanta’s State Farm Arena on Tuesday night.

And against Kentucky, it was freshman center Khaman Maluach who encountered the cramping hurdle in the second half.

Afterward, Scheyer reiterated the continued sense of urgency in combating the problem:

“I mean, look, it’s concerning. I think part of it is, you know, we have young bodies. I think that’s part of it, where we got to help these guys. And again, we’re not trying to just dip our toes in the water. We need Cooper to play a lot — and Khaman.

“And I thought the way that [Maluach] impacted the game tonight was, besides the 10 [points] and seven [rebounds], just his presence on the floor. You could see guys on their team just looking to see where he’s at.

“So, obviously, [the cramping] is something we have to take a hard look at.”

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