No. 2 Duke has found that Next-Man Up Mentality, and Blue Devils may need it again Monday night in his home final against Wake Forest in Durham, NC
Blue Devils used various assortment combinations the latest pairs of games that injuries have hit. But there is no room for a mistake about Duke (26-3, 17-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) will remain on top of the conference. Blue Devils has a game at Clemson and Louisville.
The latest anxiety for Duke came when the beginner Standout Cooper flag departed with an eye injury during the first half Saturday night against Florida State. He returned during the second half, but logged only 20 minutes in the game.
Still, the blue devils did not miss a pace. They won 100-65.
“Coop goes out during the first half and that was really what our team is about,” said coach Jon Scheyer.
Scheyer said that the flagg’s blue -marked eyelids may be a visible reminder of a day or two of the wear and tear.
Blue Devils manages other options. Saturday marked a complete game without point guard Tyrese Proctor, who was out with a knee injury that suffered last Tuesday at Miami.
“We have good players in this team who will rise,” said beginner Guard Kon Knueppel.
Blue Devils expects flags will be ready to go Monday night. His return Saturday was predictable.
“He is one of the toughest guys I’ve ever met,” said teammate Sion James, “so we knew he would try to do what he could to come back.”
The Demon Diacons (20-9, 12-6) will expect to see him on the court.
Coach Steve Forbes from Wake Forest – without a doubt as most coaches who have met Duke – have praise for flags, who have been named the ACC beginner this week a record 11 times this season.
“He’s a hard guy to protect,” Forbes said. “He has all the tools. The amazing thing about him is his selfless. He really wants other people to succeed.”
But there is more for the Blue Devils.
“He has some good players around him, so don’t sleep on it,” Forbes said.
Freshman Swingman Isaiah Evans made his first career start in the Florida State game with Proctor’s absence. He led Duke with 19 points and went 6-for-17 from the field after missing a string of shots early in the game.
“Isaiah begins and did not shoot and just got stuck with it,” Scheyer said.
The situation in the game also meant that Knueppel was pressed to serve as a point guard. Duke did not make a turnover in the first half.
“That was really what a team is about,” Scheyer said.
Wake Forest needed a comeback to turn to visit Notre Dame 74-71 on Saturday. An upset in Durham would be a major upswing for Demon Deacons’ NCAA tournament. They close the regular season this week against Georgia Tech, eighth in ACC.
Cameron Hildrh, who had 28 points Saturday, has led to Wake Forest in points in six of the last eight matches. Either Hildrh or Hunter Sallis has been Demon Deacon’s top scorer in all except three matches-and one of them came when the beginner Juke Harris topped the team’s score list with 14 points in a loss of 63-56 to Duke on January 25.
When Duke and Wake Forest met in January, the Demondiacons overcame a deficit of the 13-point half time to take the lead in the second half before Blue Devils withdrew. Flag scored 24 points in that game.
Flag leads the Blue Devils with averages of 19.3 points, 7.6 returns, 4.1 assists and 1.6 steals per match.
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