[autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] and the Duke Blue Devils won their last game before Friday’s battle with the Arizona Wildcats, but it still felt like they needed a bounce-back win.
Despite Flagg’s 26 points against the Kentucky Wildcats last Tuesday, the Blue Devils lost for the first time in 2024-25 after being outscored 24-11 over the final 10 minutes. A Saturday win over Wofford (that actually set a school record for the fewest points allowed in the shot clock era) likely numbed the pain a little, but until Duke beat a proper ranked opponent, the questions about that game in Atlanta would linger.
Luckily, head coach [autotag]Jon Scheyer[/autotag] made sure the school scheduled plenty of top teams in the non-conference slate. Three of the team’s following four games sit within the top 25 of the USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll, including Friday’s road game against the Arizona Wildcats.
Did Flagg and his teammates find a way to bounce back? Here’s a quick recap.
Cooper Flagg points scored vs. Arizona:
Flagg finished with 24 points against the Wildcats, 16 of which came after halftime. He made 10 of his 22 shots for the game, including two of his five 3-point looks, and pulled down six rebounds. He added three assists, two blocks, and a steal to his final line.
Did Duke win?
The Blue Devils added their first top-25 win of the season to their resume with a 69-55 victory over Arizona. Caleb Love, a former North Carolina Tar Heels star who won five of his previous eight matchups with Duke, only managed eight points after missing eight of his nine 3-point tries.
Cooper Flagg’s next game:
The Duke Blue Devils will return to the court on Tuesday night against the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks, a neutral-site game in Las Vegas.