Duke's Cooper Flagg gets 100% real on reason behind choosing to play for Jon Scheyer
Duke superstar Cooper Flagg revealed what led him to choose Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils for college. In an interview with sports personality Josh Graham, the 6-foot-9 guard/forward said Scheyer's honesty made him pick the Blue Devils over more than 10 programs, including UConn, Michigan, UCLA and Maine.
Flagg described Scheyer as a coach who keeps it real with his players, especially during one-on-one meetings where he'll give his honest opinion on what he likes and dislikes and what needs to be done to improve as a player.
“It comes from him not always telling me what I wanted to hear,” Flagg said. "He watched a lot of our games. We would talk after some of them and it's just about him telling what he saw, honestly, instead of just telling me what I want to hear."
Cooper Flagg understands where Scheyer is coming from. The third-year coach was part of the Duke team that won the national title in 2010. He elaborated that Scheyer is in the same mold as his parents and former AAU coach Andy Bedard.
"My parents and my AAU coach, they definitely wouldn't let me get to be full of myself so they were always keeping it real," Flagg said. "That's what I look for in the coaches. I was raised, grew up on tough love and honesty."
Cooper Flagg and Jon Scheyer have been the major reasons for Duke's success this season despite entering the year with six freshmen and three transfers. The partnership has given the Blue Devils the ACC regular season and tournament double, plus the No. 1 seed in the East Regional of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
Scheyer's honesty and tutelage have given Flagg individual accolades too, including the ACC Player of the Year and the consensus First-Team All-American.
Healthy Cooper Flagg efficient in March Madness 2025 first-round win over Mount St. Mary's
Cooper Flagg returned with a vengeance on Friday after sitting out the semifinals and finals of the 2025 ACC Tournament due to injury. He was efficient in 22 minutes, tallying 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks. He helped Duke to a 93-49 victory over Mount St. Mary's in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
The game against the Mountaineers was more of a tuneup game for the 19-year-old freshman, making 6 of his 12 shots from the field, including 1-of-3 from the 3-point line. Jon Scheyer didn't need a lot of effort from Flagg as the game was over early.
Scheyer would likely need more of his prized recruit when Duke takes on No. 9-seed Baylor in the second round on Sunday afternoon. The Bears knocked out No. 8 Mississippi State 75-72.
Cooper Flagg is set to face fellow five-star freshman VJ Edgecombe, who finished with 14 points, five rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block in 37 minutes against the Bulldogs. The second-round clash is also a reunion for former Duke player Jeremy Roach, who played four seasons with the Blue Devils before transferring to Baylor this season.
Duke faced two Big 12 Conference teams during regular season play and went 1-1. It beat Arizona by 14 points in Tucson on Nov. 22, 2024, before losing a heartbreaker to Kansas four days later.