“Young kids may struggle”: Cooper Flagg & Co. get fair warning from NCAAB analyst ahead of Duke vs Kentucky clash
In one of the season's most anticipated matchups, Cooper Flagg and Duke will square off against the Kentucky Wildcats on Tuesday night. The two top-ranked programs will clash at State Farm Arena in Atlanta as part of the Champions Classic.
Both teams are off to strong starts, each winning their first two games with ease. Duke dispatched Maine and Army Academy, while Kentucky took down Wright State and Bucknell.
The spotlight will be on Duke freshman Cooper Flagg, who has already made a strong impression. However, on a recent episode of *The Field of 68: After Dark* podcast, basketball analyst and former NBA player John Henson shared that he expects the Blue Devils to encounter some challenges against Kentucky’s experienced team.
"Give me Big Blue Nation," Henson said. "They've got seven guys averaging double figures. They've scored 100 points ... I think tomorrow the young kids may struggle a little bit, but that's kind of just been the theme of Duke if we think over the last few years."
"I think Kentucky's going to rear his [Mark Pope] head and take care of Duke. Duke has talents but Cooper Flagg and and those guys haven't been there yet and they're still learning so give me Kentucky for sure."
In his first two games for Duke, Flagg averaged 15.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game.
Cooper Flagg says Duke will be ready for highly anticipated clash vs Kentucky
Duke coach John Scheyer placed his trust in his young team, and they delivered in their opening games. Freshman forward Cooper Flagg, standing 6-foot-9, showed few nerves in his college debut, posting 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
In their second game — a win against Army, the Maine native racked up 13 points and 11 rebounds. Fellow freshman Kon Knueppel also had a strong showing with 15 points and two assists. After the game, Cooper Flagg spoke with reporters about Duke's upcoming matchup with Kentucky.
"Look at how we need to prepare ... it's a big one," Flagg said. "We've learned that we have a lot to grow upon. There are a lot of things that we have to get better, a lot of things we have to clean up on, but we will be ready."
Fans can watch the Duke vs. Kentucky game live on ESPN at 9 p.m. ET or stream it on Fubo.