Mike Bibby, Gilbert Arenas, Bradley Beal, Tyus Jones, Grayson Allen but also Bryce James and his mother Savannah… There were a lot of people there last night at the McKale Center in Tucson, the home of the University of Arizona. Like 14,000 spectators, these stars of yesterday and today came to see the gem of the university season, Cooper Flagg.
They were not disappointed as the young winger delivered his best game of the season with 24 points to allow Duke to win 69-55 against Caleb Love's teammates. The two teams had not faced each other in Arizona since the 80s! “It was a high-level college basketball game”, reacted Flagg. “It was really physical, and they’re a very physical team. I found my marks [en deuxième mi-temps]. »
Coming up, the Duke – Kansas clash!
Indeed, Flagg gained momentum as the minutes passed. After scoring 8 points in the first half, he scored 16 in the second to go along with his 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks and 1 interception. All at 10 out of 22 on shots.
“He’s big, athletic and he can finish above a lot of players”noted Jaden Bradley, Arizona leader with 18 points. “He’s super athletic. I feel like we did a good job of containing him in the first half. Then we strayed from the game plan and didn't communicate collectively, and he found openings in our defense. It poses 'mismatch' problems. If we put a smaller back on him, he can take it inside and use his power and size advantage. If we put a bigger player on him, he can play fast, shoot from afar or pass him.”
Duke's next opponent: Kansas, number 1 in the ranking, and it will be Tuesday in Las Vegas. We should meet some stars there again, and not just basketball players…
