After falling to No. 19 Kentucky in the Champions Classic earlier this week, No. 6 Duke will be back home on Saturday in a get-right game against visiting Wofford in Durham, N.C.
The Blue Devils (2-1) suffered their first loss of the season on Tuesday in Atlanta, falling 77-72 to the Wildcats in a battle of blue bloods.
Phenom Cooper Flagg led the way with a stat-stuffing effort of 26 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and two blocks, but he dribbled into traffic and turned the ball over on what could have been the game-tying possession with five seconds remaining.
It was an early-season freshman mistake for Flagg, who is expected to be a one-and-done player for the Blue Devils and enter the 2025 NBA Draft, where he is widely projected to be among the top picks.
After the game, Duke coach Jon Scheyer didn’t blame Flagg for his late-game fumble. And it’s far from the last time he’ll put the ball in his star freshman’s hands with a game on the line.
“We’re going to be in these moments a lot together, and I trust his instincts. I probably could have put him in a better position, to be honest,” Scheyer said. “But he’s got to touch it and trust that good things are going to happen. I wish you could say that every time it’s going to work out, and that’s not reality. I’m just so proud of him. Again, what he did in that game — he willed us in that game.”
What Flagg could have used was a few more big-time plays from his teammates. Kon Knueppel shot just 1-of-8 from 3-point territory and 5-of-20 from the floor. Khaman Maluach finished 5-of-5 from the field, but he played just 23 minutes and battled some foul trouble. Caleb Foster shot 0-of-4 from behind the arc and had four points and two turnovers in 29 minutes of play.
If Duke learned anything against Kentucky, it’s that it needs more than just Flagg to win in big games.
“For us, we’re going to grow and learn from this. I promise you that,” Scheyer said. “We’ve got a locker room full of guys that are disappointed, heartbroken. I’m with them. And we’re going to get better.”
Duke shouldn’t have much of a problem dispatching Wofford (1-2) in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday. The Terriers (1-2) have yet to beat a Division I opponent, with their lone win coming against Division II Erskine College. Since then, Lipscomb and Presbyterian have notched single-digit wins over Wofford.
Guard Corey Tripp leads Wofford in scoring this season with 12.3 points per game while shooting 42.9 percent from 3-point range. Kyler Filewich averages 9.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and four assists per game.
The Terriers look for strong play on the defensive side of the ball.
“Our defensive pressure has been really good,” said Justin Bailey, who transferred to Wofford this offseason from nearby South Carolina Upstate. “We have worked on it all summer and talk about raising the level every day in practice, film and even the scrimmages. I feel like I can bring that energy to that side of the ball and that is what I am focused on.”
–Field Level Media
