Newark, NJ – At the early hours of Friday morning, a handful of children stood in the cold evening in Newark, hoping to have an overview of the biggest name in university basketball. While the last people left the prudential center of the adjacent parking structure, they arrested the journalists and the arena staff in a frantically and with enthusiasm:
“Do you know where Cooper Flagg East?”
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None, myself included, knew where he was then. But now, about 48 hours later, we know where Va Flagg and the rest of the Duke Blue Devils.
After A disassembly of 85-65 of the AlabamaThey head towards San Antonio and the Final Four.
“I could not be more proud of the team as a whole,” said Duke’s head coach Jon Scheyer. “Their attitudes all season, from the first day, I think this group was different.”
Flagg, the first year phenomenon that rewritten record books in its first season – and presumptive – in Durham, in North Carolina, was somewhat anti -crimactically named the most remarkable player in the Eastern region. His unprecedented performance Thursday evening Everything except cementation that the award provided Duke on Saturday.
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And although Duke reduced Nets, it was not due to a Flagg Force performance. It was such a balanced effort that all the initial training – Flagg included – joined Scheyer on the platform after the post -match celebration.
“I couldn’t have done it without the guys sitting next to me and guys in the locker room,” said Flagg. “All the merit, the coaches to have put me in very good situations, places on the field, to give me the ball in the right places. And then I allowed myself to play for free, on the ball, anything, just letting me be me. And I have just given all the merit to my teammates and coaches.”
This does not mean that Flagg played badly – he did not do it – but that was proof that the Probable n ° 1 overall choice in the draft of the NBA this summer is somewhat human on the basketball field.
The Duke Blue Devils showed that they had more than Cooper Flagg during their race in the Final Four. (C. Morgan Engel / Getty Images)
(C. Morgan Engel via Getty Images)
Instead, it was his first -year compatriot Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach – Draft NBA Draft lottery choices projected in its own right – which offered the most impact in the dominant victory Elite Eight. KNUPPEL and MALUACH were also appointed to the global team for the Sweet 16 / Elite Eight portion of the NCAA tournament.
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“I think that’s something I said a lot during this year is that we just have such a talented team,” said Flagg. “Every night could be someone else’s night. I think that this evening, Kon sort of intensified and had the ball a lot. We have run a lot of actions for him.
“I think it’s just having so many talented guys in the team, it will not be your night every night. Do not hang your head, simply continue to play. Someone has spoken to win the 98% and do all the little things. So, not letting the shots affect everything you do and knowing that the rest of the guys took their backs and they are going to do these games.”
Flagg attracted most of the national attention, but his racing comrades deserve a lot of recognition. Knuppel and Maluach are the only two Blue Devils to have started 38 games this season (Flagg missed the last three games of the ACC tournament with an ankle injury).
On Saturday, Kueppel led the Blue Devils by scoring with a summit of 21 points, allowing Duke to improve at 11-0 this season when he is the top scorer.
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“We have several weapons and different teams play different ways,” said Scheyer. “So, according to the matches, according to the cover that we see, for me, I feel very confident. I think that with Kon, his versatility is enormous for us and his size. He is able to pass. He is able to finish. You feel that he will always take out a good look because he has big pivots in painting and great patience.”
While Kueppel directed the offensive, Maluach has helped to orchestrate the most impressive performance in the Duke tournament so far. Two days after Alabama broke an NCAA tournament record by making 25 3 points of 3 points And hung at 113 points on Byu, the Blue Devils smothered the crimson tide to each turn, limiting the country’s n ° 1 offensive to only 65 points – its second lower production of the whole season.
They have a length everywhere, “said Alabama head coach Nate Oats.” You look at their starting alignment, they have Khaman Maluach who has a range of 9 feet 8 inches, he protects the edge at a high level.
“We let our guys know that we are not going to enter and score on him, and we still had a few guys who try to challenge him. We ended up having more blocks than them, but the way he challenges is a problem.”
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Even Mark Sears, the top scorer in Alabama who put a career in a career with 10 3 Thursday, was not immune to being mutilated by the defense of Maluach and Duke. Sears was limited to only six points out of 2 out of 12 shots in his last match with Crimson Tide.
“Sears is one of the best players-obviously one of the best Pick-And-Roll players,” said Scheyer. “We have the luxury to have a guy with Khaman where he can really play different covers. We have a 7 -foot 2 -inch guy on one of the best guards in the country, and he does a very good job by moving his feet. Same thing, we have done it in depth, because we try to protect our painting more and that our guards are really fighting.”
The performance centered on the team on Saturday should scare the heart of Tennessee or Houston – the opponent still to determine in Duke in San Antonio next weekend.
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After Tyrese Proctor pulled the lights (13 out of 16 from the 3-point range) in the first two victories of the Duke NCAA tournament and the aforementioned masterpiece of Flagg in Sweet 16, the defensive clinic against Alabama adds to an already frightening range in ways of which Blue Devils can beat a team.
“Duke is a team as good as we saw it all year round,” said oats. “We have very good teams in the dry, and they are at this level, and it was not supposed to be for us this evening.”
It will be the first appearance of Final Four for Duke Under Scheyer, and the first for most of his list. Although the scene is brighter and the issues higher, Saturday said that there is no doubt in the ability of anyone to get up on the occasion.
“I already think about it here, and I must remember that I should appreciate this this evening and we will have time to do it,” said Scheyer. “How can we continue to be us with different distractions and in a different environment? And therefore it suits us to help as coach staff. But I know that our guys will be excited for the challenge.”