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    • Cooper Flagg’s Late Turnover Criticized by Fans as No. 19 Kentucky Upsets No. 6 Duke | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats and Rumors
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    Cooper Flagg’s Late Turnover Criticized by Fans as No. 19 Kentucky Upsets No. 6 Duke | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats and Rumors

    Harry Posted on

    ATLANTA, GEORGIA – NOVEMBER 12: Duke Blue Devils' No. 2 Cooper Flagg tackles Kentucky Wildcats' No. 00 Otega Oweh during the first half of the State Farm Champions Classic between the Kentucky Wildcats and Duke Blue Devils at State Farm Arena in November. He is running against 12, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

    Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

    Three games into his college career, two things are clear: Cooper Flagg is indeed real, but he’s also still a freshman.

    The Duke phenom and standout of the Blue Devils’ top-ranked 2024 recruiting class was spectacular against Kentucky in the Champions Classic on Tuesday night, recording 26 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and two steals.

    But he also had two turnovers on Duke’s final two possessions; Both were crucial errors in Kentucky’s 77-72 victory.

    ESPN @espn

    Cooper Flagg turned the ball over on two consecutive possessions late in regulation.
    No. 19 Kentucky defeats No. 6 Duke 77-72 pic.twitter.com/11fiwuov61

    Flagg’s turnovers and struggles from beyond the arc (1 of 5 from three) were the biggest dent in his performance on Tuesday. He wasn’t alone when it came to his shooting woes; Duke was generally terrible from deep, finishing 4-of-22 on threes. Had the Blue Devils been half decent on these looks, many of which were wide open, they probably would have won easily.

    Instead, the Blue Devils lost their first game of the year, falling to 2-1. Following the contest, Flagg received some criticism for his late-game tackles, but these were mostly met with praise for his overall performance:

    Myron Medcalf @MedcalfByESPN

    Mark Pope has a team full of grown men and that was important in the final seconds of the match. Cooper Flagg looked young. He had tunnel vision for three consecutive possessions. He’s great. You want the ball in his hands later in the game. But Kentucky wasn’t afraid of that moment.

    Seth Davis @SethDavisHoops

    Flagg was great all night, but fumbled the ball on the final two possessions.

    Nicole Auerbach @Nicole Auerbach

    Cooper Flagg finishes this match like a nightmare.

    Tony Jones @tjonesonthenba

    This is the worst Cooper Flagg can be on offense. Think about this.

    Jonathan Wasserman @NBA DraftWass

    Flagg was given a little too much responsibility on the ball tonight. No matter what, it’s a great effort; physical, relentless finishing, contested shooting and flashes of ball handling. Work is ongoing to run 1 on 1, but still offers 26 and 12 at 17.

    Matt Langone @MattLangone

    Kentucky’s amazing win. Cooper Flagg was incredible at 39:30 and looked like a freshman in the final 30 seconds.

    Gary Parrish @GaryParrishCBS

    FINAL: Kentucky 77, Duke 72
    What a great win/moment for Mark Pope. Couldn’t be happier for him and his fans.
    They deserve it.
    Frankly, Cooper Flagg is amazing. But he turned the ball over twice late and gave up the sealing offensive rebound. Tough last 15 seconds.

    Jason Patt @Bulls_Jay

    After a dominant first 39 minutes, the final 30 seconds couldn’t have gone any worse for Cooper Flagg.

    Flagg was the most hyped player in college basketball, and outside of the final 30 seconds on Tuesday, he lived up to expectations. There’s no question he needs to improve his perimeter shooting at the next level to be a true star, but for a kid his size, his ball-handling and playmaking and defensive impact are impressive. It has special, unique versatility.

    However, Kentucky (3-0) strengthened the defense in the second half and did enough to avoid the defeat with Andrew Carr (17 points) and Otega Oweh (15 points, 6 rebounds).

    This will be a good learning experience in Flagg’s development. Duke is a young team, but its upside is unorthodox. As he gains some more experience, Flagg and the Blue Devils will become a serious problem.

    Harry
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