Cooper Flagg Excites CBB Fans in Duke Debut as Kon Knueppel, Blue Devils Beat Maine

Scott Polacek@@ScottPolacekFeatured Columnist IVNovember 5, 2024

Grant Halverson/Getty Images

Cooper Flagg and the No. 7 Duke Blue Devils men’s basketball team started the 2024-25 campaign with a win.

Duke defeated the Maine Black Bears 96-62 in Monday’s season-opening showdown at Cameron Indoor Stadium. All eyes were on the freshman, and he opened his highly anticipated season with 18 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals while helping lead his team to a straightforward victory.

He wasn’t the only one who played well, as Kon Knueppel spearheaded the scoring efforts with 22 points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal.

But it was Flagg who drew the most reaction on social media, especially after he threw down quite the dunk:

Bleacher Report @BleacherReportCOOPER FLAGG DRIVES AND THROWS IT DOWN 😤🔨

(via @DukeMBB)pic.twitter.com/kDaLxNzjrG

Blue Devils @BlueDevilsThis photo of the Cooper Flagg dunk 🤯 pic.twitter.com/PgzjL5riRS

Professor @superfinn23https://t.co/M9xRy0iHvf pic.twitter.com/6SiYCT1OmS

🎙️🏈🏀TheWiseSole👟 @TheWiseSolehttps://t.co/6FnMZZoAE5 pic.twitter.com/QMYJEktWDJ

JWF3 @JamesWFortnerIILook where he jumps from off 2 feet …. athletic with a 7ft wing span. Geez! https://t.co/65bsdPP032

dyson daniels floater @killmesIimeThe Maine Event https://t.co/gGMGQtb9sn

Naismith Awards @NaismithTrophyCOOPER FLAGG IS HERE. 💪

The @jerseymikes Naismith Men’s POY Watch List player is ready to take the college basketball world by storm. ⚡️ @dukembb is ROLLING.

📷: @dukembb#JerseyMikesNaismith2025 #NaismithWatchList #JerseyMikesWatchList #NaismithAward pic.twitter.com/icQJhuFfV5

Steven Padillas @Falcons_PadCooper Flagg is the most unselfish high IQ recruit Duke has had in a while. The game comes to him he doesn’t force it too often.

Mick @DBGyt_So Cooper Flagg is a lock for #1…

Amy Murray @VTDukefanYeah, that’s unguardable play by Cooper Flagg. So freaking skilled he is!!

Cassidy Brown @TheSasckMaskCOOPER FLAGG AGAIN!🐰🐰🐰

CT @CTFazio24The baseline with Cooper Flagg is that he doesn’t even have to score a lot to impact the game. Defense is special, makes winning plays

Amy Murray @VTDukefanThe thing that has impressed me a ton with Cooper Flagg is how well he can handle the PG duties. He has great vision on the floor. Love that Duke has another big man that can bring the ball up the court & create plays.

The game was a blowout as expected, but it was still the first chance for college basketball and NBA fans to see Flagg in action. The No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2024, per 247Sports’ composite rankings, is one of the most-hyped freshmen in years and will be appointment viewing every time he takes the court.

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman projected Flagg as the No. 1 overall pick in his latest mock draft, noting that the 17-year-old “has been considered one of the bigger prizes of the decade.”

His presence is a major reason expectations are once again so high for the powerhouse Blue Devils after they reached the Elite Eight last season, and Monday’s game was an opportunity to set the tone against an overmatched opponent.

Yet it was Knueppel who did just that by pouring in 15 points in the first half alone, four of which came on a four-point play when he was fouled beyond the arc. With Maine focusing plenty of defensive attention on Flagg, he was able to take advantage of open looks and anchor the offense for stretches.

Blue Devils @BlueDevilsKON KNUEPPEL II 4 POINT PLAY‼️‼️pic.twitter.com/TMCJBPagQo

Flagg certainly had his moments in the first half as well, including when he unleashed the monster tomahawk jam to fire up the crowd. He followed that with an assist on a Sion James three and a reverse layup to push the lead to 11 by intermission.

The game was never in doubt, and Duke wasted no time pulling away in the second half with Flagg doing a little bit of everything. Even when he wasn’t the team’s go-to scorer, he was facilitating, battling for boards and playing lockdown defense as the best two-way player on the floor.

It is a formula that should lead to plenty of wins in what figures to be his only collegiate season, especially if Knueppel proves to be the scoring threat he was Monday. Maine had no answers for the two freshmen, and it isn’t difficult to envision them leading the Blue Devils to plenty of success.

They will look to continue the early momentum Friday when they face Army.