Duke may have been shown more in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament for three days than during the four months before.
So it says something pretty good for the country’s No. 1 team.
The passing of the blue devil did not occur in Charlotte, where they cut down Nets after pressing their ACC tournament to a record 23.
In summary, it can go down like “no Cooper flag, no worries” for Duke.
Blue Devils will go into the NCAA tournament on a winning line of 11 games and as one of the favorites to win everything.
Flagg’s destroyed ankle dominated the conversation regarding the Blue Devils. In any case, the beginner will be ready to go in the next tournament – and that was all that seemed to mean when it was decided that he would sit out for the past two days of the ACC event.
It’s not as easy as saying that Blue Devils did not miss a pace. They could have used Flagg’s points, passed and rebounding, without a doubt.
They ended up strengthening their warehouse because they won without him.
“We didn’t need Superman performances or anything like it,” said beginner Guard Kon Knueppel. “Everyone just steps up and added to the team.”
The result 73-62 in the ACC tournament final against Louisville gave Blue Devils another two-digit victory-something that became the norm with blows of the regular season. Their first two wins in Charlotte came with eight and three points.
Blue Devils showed a lot to win without flags on the track, although their depth may have been exposed to some extent. They used three reserves before a last minute courtesy substitution in the Louisville game.
The Louisville game was remarkable because it first marked since the beginning of December that Duke played a ranked team. And while Clemson ended up No. 10 at the end of the regular season, Duke lost to Tigers in early February.
So until the cutting of the cardinals on Saturday night, Blue Devil’s last victory came against a ranked opponent more than three months ago.
Of course, no one would be surprised to know that a Duke beginner was the tournament’s most valuable player. It is Knueppel that keeps that distinction.
On the way it became clear – if there were not already heavy tips throughout the season – that Knueppel would have been a marker throughout the season if he did not play in the shadow of flag.
Knueppel is on average 14.2 points per match. He has exceeded that number over the last five games.
The Blue Devils claimed the Top ACC price, but it has not come without anxiety. Remember that if they had not beaten North Carolina in Chapel Hill to end the regular season, they would have gone to Charlotte with the No. 3 seed for the tournament.
And counts the last match of the regular season, Duke has a trailer in the other halves out of three of the last four matches.
The exception was the ACC semi -final against North Carolina, when a lane transfers on takes Heels in the declining seconds neglected a knotting free throw. So the blue devils never stood behind after half time in it – and it turned out to be the game that may have been most in danger in the late stages.
But they handled the drama, flag case and almost everything else they have come across this season.
“It says a lot about our team and our toughness and says a lot about other guys going up at great moments,” said the beginner center Khaman Maluach.
What is important is how Blue Devils handles the big stage that is still ahead of them.
