"It gives me a lot of confidence": Duke star Cooper Flagg "blessed" to receive immense level of support from hometown

Cooper Flagg has been on the rise as one of the best players in college basketball this season. However, he still remembers his roots as he appreciates the support from people in his home state.

Flagg reflected on his local fans coming out to support him at Duke's road game against Boston College on Saturday, the closest trip his hometown fans from Maine could make this season.

“People coming all the way from Aroostook, which I don’t know how many hours that is. But I would say a lot,” he said. “It’s huge, the level of support. Just to be able to see them show up and support, it means a lot to me. It gives me a lot of confidence, and I’m just really blessed.

“It means a lot to me, especially being from Maine. To a lot of kids from Maine that might be in a similar situation to what I was in growing up, it’s easy to just not believe in yourself or just think you can’t do it."

He continued:

"I just want to keep proving that it doesn’t really matter where you’re from. As long as you stick to it and keep working, you can make anything happen.”

What's next for Cooper Flagg, Duke?

Cooper Flagg has been great in his freshman campaign, which has propelled No. 2 Duke into title conversations.

Flagg averages 19.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per contest. He has shooting splits of 48.8% overall and 34.8% from downtown, while taking multiple ACC Rookie of the Week and Player of the Week awards.

The Blue Devils boast a 16-2 overall record, including an 8-0 showing in ACC play. They have also won 12 consecutive games. The average 81.3 points per game on 48.5% shooting, including 37.5% from beyond the arc, blowing out opponents by a convincing margin of 21.8 points per game.

Cooper Flagg and the No. 2 Blue Devils will next face the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. EST.

​