Duke basketball coach Jon Scheyer praises Cooper Flagg’s effort, says ‘he always competes’

While speaking with ACC Network on Wednesday, Duke coach Jon Scheyer effused praise for his No. 1 recruit’s effort and what it means.

Nobody needs to be told [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] is talented.

The No. 1 player in the Class of 2024 spearheads a historically good Duke recruiting class, and there’s a reason the 6-foot-9 Maine native already gets buzz as a generational prospect. He can handle the ball like a guard, he can block shots into the bleachers, he can run point in an offense. Anything a coach wants Flagg to do, he can do exceptionally well.

Duke head coach Jon Scheyer doesn’t think that’s the most important part of Flagg’s repertoire, however. During a segment with ACC Network on Wednesday, Scheyer heaped praise onto something else about the Montverde Academy product: his effort.

“No matter when I’ve seen him, if it’s a Sunday morning at 8 a.m. after playing for a few days, whether it’s watching him play on ESPN, you know, the national championship game this year, he always plays the same way,” Scheyer said. “He always competes, 100% effort, and I think that’s a separator.”

“Obviously, you look at his athleticism, talent, size, and skill is off the charts,” the Blue Devils program leader added. “But to me, it’s how he competes and who he is as a teammate.”

The Blue Devils enter the 2024-25 season as one of the favorites to win it all thanks to Flagg, five other top-50 freshmen, and transfers like Tulane’s Sion James, Syracuse’s Maliq Brown, and Purdue’s Mason Gillis.