Latest news with #DukeBlueDevils
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15 hours ago
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Fresh Intel Reveals Mavericks' Strong Stance on Cooper Flagg
Fresh Intel Reveals Mavericks' Strong Stance on Cooper Flagg originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The 2025 NBA Draft is set to take place on Wednesday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Although there are plenty of questions surrounding how the draft will unfold, there is plenty of certainty surrounding the Dallas Mavericks' No. 1 pick. Advertisement Former Duke Blue Devils freshman sensation and Naismith Men's Player of the Year Cooper Flagg has been pegged as the top pick of the draft for over a year. While some joked that the Mavericks, who traded away Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers at the trade deadline, may part with the pick, the Mavs have done everything in their power to show that won't be happening. On Friday, fans learned of another example of this as Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson reported that the Mavs didn't invite fellow projected top pick, Dylan Harper of Rutgers, for a visit. As explained by Robinson, this wasn't done because Harper lacked talent, but because Dallas wanted to be loyal to Flagg. Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) Deutsch-Imagn Images "But according to multiple league sources familiar with the situation, there's a calculated reason for the limited activity," wrote Robinson. "Chief among them: the Dallas Mavericks, who hold the No. 1 overall pick, never invited Harper for a workout. And it wasn't about talent or fit—it was about optics. The Mavericks didn't want to offend Cooper Flagg." Advertisement While thoughts were floated before the draft order was revealed that Flagg had enough cache to pull an Eli Manning, there has been no indication since that he'd do so. The Mavericks also seem to be well aware of how important it is to start this marriage off on a strong note after the disaster that was the Doncic trade saga. Related: Heat Receive Crucial Kevin Durant Trade Update on Friday Amid Swirling Rumors This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
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3 days ago
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Duke Basketball Makes Big Announcement on Tuesday
Duke Basketball Makes Big Announcement on Tuesday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Duke Blue Devils dominated the ACC this past season under head coach Jon Scheyer in his third year at the helm. They finished with an impressive 35–4 overall record and went 19–1 in conference play, capturing both the ACC regular season and tournament titles before earning a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Advertisement However, their championship hopes were cut short after a heartbreaking second-half collapse against the Houston Cougars in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. Looking ahead to next season, Duke will experience significant roster turnover. The Blue Devils are losing standout freshmen Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach, along with veteran guard Tyrese Proctor — all of whom are heading to the NBA. Despite the departures, Scheyer has assembled one of the most talented rosters on paper. Incoming five-star recruits Cayden and Cameron Boozer, Dame Sarr, and Sebastian Wilkins headline the freshman class, while key returners such as Isaiah Evans, Caleb Foster, Patrick Ngongba II, and Darren Harris bring continuity. On Tuesday, Duke made a notable offseason announcement by unveiling jersey numbers for their 2025–26 roster, giving fans an early glimpse at what next year's team will look like. Fans reacted to some of the jersey numbers: Advertisement "We going all the way forreal this time!" A fan said. Someone else added, "New year new squad same goal." Another fan posted, "dame sarr #7 bouta look crazy." "Going to be weird to see a team with no jersey number above 21," one more fan commented. Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Donnan-Imagn Images Duke will open the regular season in the inaugural Dick Vitale Invitational, facing an early test right out of the gate against the Texas Longhorns. While the Blue Devils will be headlined by their highly touted freshman class, it may be the returning players who determine just how far this team can go. Their experience and leadership could be the key difference in turning Duke from a Final Four contender into a true national championship threat — something that was clearly lacking in their late-game collapse against a veteran Houston squad last season. Advertisement Related: Isaiah Evans Returning to Duke, Key Building Block for Jon Scheyer This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
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3 days ago
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Jon Scheyer Sends Strong Message About Cooper Flagg Ahead of NBA Draft
Jon Scheyer Sends Strong Message About Cooper Flagg Ahead of NBA Draft originally appeared on Athlon Sports. With the NBA draft set for June 25 and 26, the countdown is officially on until former Duke Blue Devils star Cooper Flagg hears his name called as the No. 1 overall pick by the Dallas Mavericks. Advertisement Ahead of the big night, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer joined "The Ryen Russillo Podcast" to discuss Flagg's mindset and the potential of how he might fit at the next level—particularly on a team already loaded with proven star veterans like Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, and Anthony Davis. 'Cooper had as good and as special of a season as I've ever been a part of with any player," Scheyer said. "But he also had moments where things didn't go his way—when we lost, when there was heartbreak. And in those moments, there were no excuses, no finger-pointing. It was always, 'What does Cooper need to do better?' That's pretty old school, pretty special, and it's a big reason why he's going to be the No. 1 pick and why he'll be a great player for a very long time.' Scheyer continued, 'He's so unselfish—that's just his nature. He could've easily averaged 20-plus points this year. Going forward, I think he'll be just fine With his ability to shoot from three, finish at the rim, and create his own shot, I think he's going to become one of the best scorers in the NBA over time.' Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg and head coach Jon Scheyer© Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images Cooper Flagg was widely projected to be the No. 1 overall pick before he even stepped on the court at Duke—and somehow, he still managed to exceed the sky-high expectations that followed him from Newport, Maine, to Montverde Academy, where he was the top recruit in the Class of 2024. Flagg led the Blue Devils to both the ACC regular season and conference tournament titles, a Final Four appearance, and topped the team in nearly every major statistical category. His dominant season earned him a sweep of the sport's top honors, including the Wooden Award, Naismith Player of the Year, and both ACC Player and Rookie of the Year. Advertisement Related: Duke Basketball Makes Big Announcement on Tuesday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
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4 days ago
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Cooper Flagg's Mom Makes Subtle Dallas Mavericks Move
Cooper Flagg's Mom Makes Subtle Dallas Mavericks Move originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Cooper Flagg is expected to be selected by the Dallas Mavericks with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft on June 25. Advertisement The Mavericks secured the top selection in the draft lottery in May and are positioned to add Flagg, a forward coming off an outstanding freshman season at Duke. Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists in his one-and-done season with the Blue Devils, winning AP Player of the Year and sweeping the voting for the ACC Player and Rookie of the Year awards. He also led Duke to a Final Four appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) reacts after making a last-second shot to end the first half against the Arizona Deutsch-Imagn Images On Tuesday, Cooper Flagg's mother, Kelly Flagg, engaged with a social media post about her son's future with Dallas. The post featured a mixtape of Flagg's college highlights and was captioned, 'Day one posting a video of Cooper Flagg until he wins a title with the Dallas Mavericks.' Advertisement Kelly Flagg liked the post, drawing the attention of the Mavericks fan who originally shared it. The fan capped off his reaction to Kelly Flagg's like by writing, "Our future is bright with our new generational star." Next week, Flagg is set to be the second No. 1 overall pick in Mavericks franchise history, joining Mark Aguirre, the top pick in 1981. It's the first time Dallas has picked in the top five since 2018 when it traded up for Luka Doncic. After a midseason trade that sent Doncic to the Lakers and ultimately led to a missed playoff appearance, Dallas fans are once again seeing light at the end of the tunnel. Advertisement Related: LeBron James Makes Blunt Admission About Coaching in Future This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
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4 days ago
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Duke Makes Move for No. 1 Center in Class of 2027
Duke Makes Move for No. 1 Center in Class of 2027 originally appeared on Athlon Sports. As summer moves along, we're inching closer to the start of the 2025-26 college basketball season. Recruiting never stops as coaches begin connecting with players from the class of 2026 while getting a feel for the class of 2027 and identifying long-term targets to build their rosters around. Advertisement College basketball is constantly evolving, but landing elite recruits remains crucial to building a successful program. That's exactly what Jon Scheyer and the Duke Blue Devils are aiming to do as they continue reloading after recent roster changes. On Monday, one of the top prospects in the 2027 class made headlines. "Duke has reached out to 2027 5 Obinna Ekezie Jr. (@ObinnaEkezieJr). He is the #1-ranked center in his class! Per @recruitszone. Ekezie Jr., a 7-foot center and five-star prospect, plays for Prolific Prep in Napa, California, one of the top high school basketball programs in the nation. Advertisement A year ago, Kelvin Sampson and the Houston Cougars were among the first to offer him a scholarship. At that time, both Cal and Stanford had already extended offers to the talented big man. Since then, he's picked up offers from Maryland, BYU, Miami, Virginia and Cincinnati, adding to an already impressive recruiting profile that's drawing national attention. Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer makes move for no. 1 center in class of Pendleton-Imagn Images Ekezie Jr.'s father, Obinna Ekezie, played college basketball at the University of Maryland and was selected 37th overall in the 1999 NBA Draft before playing internationally. Recently, Ekezie Jr. participated in the NBPA Top 100 Camp in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Playing for Team Jones, he averaged 7 points, 3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game over three contests, showcasing his defensive instincts and raw potential. Advertisement With Jon Scheyer continuing to make big moves on the recruiting trail, Duke is clearly targeting elite size and skill early in the 2027 cycle, hoping to stay ahead in the ever-competitive ACC landscape. Related: Cooper Flagg Sends Message to Kon Knueppel Before NBA Draft Related: Cayden, Cameron Boozer Join Exclusive Duke Club Before Freshman Season This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
