ATLANTA — Jon Scheyer would do it once more.
And later this season, he nearly definitely will.
With 26.5 seconds left, Duke and Kentucky tied in one other Champions Traditional thriller, Scheyer took timeout to scheme up his finest play — or actually, his finest participant.
As a result of, let’s face it: There was solely ever one factor that Duke’s coach was going to name for within the clutch moments of Kentucky’s eventual 77-72 win. He knew it. Kentucky knew it. Everybody in State Farm Enviornment knew it. However with the sport on the road, you go to your star — even when he’s 17 years previous, taking part in in solely his third school recreation.
So, Jon, what did you need on that final play?
“The ball in his palms,” Scheyer stated earlier than pointing his thumb to his proper, the place freshman Cooper Flagg was sitting.
It’s that easy. Within the crucible of among the best video games of this early school basketball season, Scheyer put the rock in Flagg’s palms and, mainly, stated go make a bucket. Which, contemplating Flagg already had a game-high 26 factors by then — together with Duke’s last seven factors, and 12 of its previous 14 — ain’t precisely a nasty technique.
So after fellow freshman Kon Knueppel inbounded the ball to Flagg, Duke ran three ghost screens — first with Maliq Brown, then Tyrese Proctor, then Knueppel — after which cleared everybody out of the way in which.
No ball screens. No passes. No interference. Simply let Flagg prepare dinner.
It labored the possession earlier than, proper? Flagg mainly did the identical factor when he took an offensive rebound from Brown and, with out hesitation, drove into the tooth of Kentucky’s protection. Someway, he bought off a shot over 6-foot-11 ahead Andrew Carr, which tap-danced alongside the again rim earlier than lastly falling by means of the ring. That tied the rating at 72, organising a do-over state of affairs for Duke and its teenage phenom.
Solely this time, Kentucky — the fifth most-experienced workforce within the nation, per KenPom, which begins 4 seniors and a junior — discovered a factor or two. Slightly than following Knueppel out to the wing after his ghost display screen, Kentucky wing Otega Oweh hung again slightly, cautious of Flagg’s incoming drive. Gotcha. This time when Flagg tried to publish up Carr, Oweh noticed his opening, timing his assist protection completely earlier than ripping the ball out of Flagg’s grasp. Knueppel fouled Oweh in transition earlier than he bought a shot off, however the harm was performed; Oweh’s subsequent free throws put Kentucky forward for good.
After the sport, Scheyer acknowledged that he “in all probability may have put (Flagg) in a greater place, to be sincere.” Like a ball display screen with Proctor, maybe, to drive the defensive change? Duke’s junior level guard had Jaxson Robinson guarding him, and whereas Robinson’s a superb shooter, his protection is about as powerful as tissue paper. Earlier within the second half, when Flagg hit Robinson with a drop step within the publish, that freed him up for his best factors all night time. Or perhaps Scheyer may have gotten Knueppel concerned first, and had him feed Flagg off a brief roll.
However regardless, Scheyer was going to Flagg.
And he was proper to.
“We’re going to be in these moments loads collectively, and I belief his instincts,” Scheyer stated. “However he’s bought to the touch it, and belief that good issues are going to occur. I want you possibly can say that each time it’s going to work out, however that’s not actuality.”
In that pivotal second, it didn’t. And it didn’t the following possession, both, when Flagg — with Duke nonetheless trailing by solely two — misplaced his dribble within the nook and the ball slowly rolled out of bounds. “I type of misplaced the ball first, after which I may need slipped,” Flagg stated, “however no matter occurred, that’s not an excuse.” The 6-foot-9 wing crumpled to the court docket because the close by referee signaled for the turnover, which all however sealed the Blue Devils’ defeat with 5.5 seconds left.
And whereas these two late turnovers are the moments that may endure, it’s plainly inaccurate to put the blame for Duke’s defeat at Flagg’s toes. An adolescent, in his first nationally televised recreation, after being touted for months as arguably one of the best American-born NBA prospect since Anthony Davis, responded along with his game-high 26 factors and 12 rebounds, plus two assists and two blocks.
He performed each second after halftime, which turned paramount as soon as graduate guard Sion James left with a shoulder damage and freshman large Khaman Maluach exited with cramps. (About these: Scheyer stated he’s “involved” that cramps have impacted Duke’s freshmen in all three video games up to now, but it surely’s one thing Duke’s sports activities science workers is actively addressing, prefer it did with Paolo Banchero years in the past.)
With out Flagg, who had an alley-oop tip-in dunk on Duke’s first possession, Scheyer’s workforce would by no means have had an opportunity to win within the recreation’s last minute. However, and sure, there’s a “however,” it’s additionally true that Flagg and Duke’s whole workforce, actually, confirmed their youth within the second half.
Within the first half, Duke had 28 factors within the paint to Kentucky’s six. Within the second half? Kentucky had 20 to Duke’s 18.
Within the first half, Duke had 11 factors off turnovers, and Kentucky had none. Within the second half? Kentucky had 9, and Duke had solely 4.
Within the first half, Duke had eight fast-break factors, to just one for Kentucky. Within the second half? Kentucky once more had 9 to Duke’s 4.
That’s not one freshman having two powerful possessions. That’s a whole workforce wilting, or at the least wanting its age when it couldn’t afford to.
“They confirmed unbelievable maturity,” Scheyer stated, “and their expertise confirmed within the second half.”
That’s the distinction between the nation’s fifth-oldest workforce and one which begins three freshmen, isn’t it? Flagg, a fast learner, isn’t prone to make these late-game errors once more. Neither is Knueppel, among the best shooters within the nation, liable to go 5-of-20 total, or 1-of-8 from 3. Additionally value noting: Duke wouldn’t have been in almost as shut a recreation if it shot wherever close to regular. The Blue Devils entered Tuesday making 14 3-pointers per recreation, fifth-most within the nation, earlier than making simply 4 of their 23 tries from deep, or 17.4 %.
Nonetheless. That is the primary time both of these guys have been in a recreation like this, in a constructing like this, the place CATLANTA appears like an applicable dateline. Scheyer has stated a number of instances this summer time and season that he didn’t assemble Duke’s daunting nonconference schedule in such a approach so his workforce may go undefeated. The Blue Devils nonetheless play at Arizona, vs. Kansas in Las Vegas and host Auburn within the ACC-SEC Problem.
He did it so his workforce would get higher. And whereas studying from wins is extra gratifying than studying from losses, it isn’t at all times as efficient.
“We bought an extended season to go,” Scheyer stated. “I really feel extra optimistic tonight, dropping, than I did even earlier than, since you discover out on this recreation the character of your workforce and the center that they’ve — and this workforce’s bought lots of coronary heart.”
Scheyer made a controversial option to construct his third roster round a freshman, even one as proficient as Flagg, in essentially the most skilled period in school basketball historical past. Keep in mind that there have been two freshman starters mixed up to now two Ultimate Fours. But when Duke goes to get to that time, it’s going to take Flagg being one of the best participant on the ground in conditions like Tuesday.
He wasn’t on his first crack. It occurs. However that is how youth will get expertise. It lives issues.
Wish to wager how Flagg’s subsequent game-winning alternative goes?
“Coach has belief in me to go and make a play,” Flagg stated. “I’m glad he had that belief in me, to place the ball in my palms. I’m searching for it in that second. It didn’t work out, however I’m nonetheless going to search for it, it doesn’t matter what.”
(Photograph of Duke’s Cooper Flagg and Kentucky’s Otega Oweh: by Kevin C. Cox / Getty Pictures)
