Life without Cooper Flagg has been different for Jon Scheyer and the Duke Blue Devils.
Flagg suffered an ankle sprain in the Blue Devils’ contest against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Wednesday. This will keep him out for the remainder of the ACC Tournament, meaning the squad had to adjust without him.
Following Duke’s game against the North Carolina Tar Heels on Thursday, Scheyer reflected on the squad’s performance in the postgame press conference. He commented on the spacing and timing the team had without Flagg and Maliq Brown, seeing how different they play without them.
“We had a different lineup (without Cooper Flagg & Maliq Brown), so our spacing was different, with guys in different spots, and the timing wasn’t always what we wanted, but overall I think we did a good job of adjusting on the fly, with the quick turnaround,” Scheyer said.
How Duke played against North Carolina without Cooper Flagg
Despite the absences of Cooper Flagg and Maliq Brown, Jon Scheyer and the Duke Blue Devils persevered to take down the Tar Heels 74-71 on Friday.
The Blue Devils initially dominated their opponents, boasting a 45-24 lead at halftime. However, the Tar Heels fought back as they cut the deficit down to single digits. Despite losing the second half 47-29, Duke made enough plays down the stretch to come out with the win.
Five players scored in double-digits for Duke. Kon Knueppel led the way with 17 points, four rebounds and three assists. He shot 5-of-11 from the field, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. Khaman Maluach came next with 13 points and nine rebounds, Sion James and Patrick Ngongba II scored 12 points each, while Tyrese Proctor provided 11 points and three rebounds.
Moving on to the ACC Championship Game, the Blue Devils prepare for their next opponent. They face the winner of the semifinal matchup between the Clemson Tigers and Louisville Cardinals on March 15 at 8:30 p.m. ET.
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