NBA Draft: Duke Trio Gets Back On Track in Win

Cooper Flagg and co. got back in the win column Wednesday night.

Feb 12, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) dunks during the second half against the California Golden Bears at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Last week, the third-ranked Duke Blue Devils suffered their first loss in 16 tries, falling to the Clemson Tigers, 77-71.

The team remains one of the better teams in college basketball — led by the prospect trio of Cooper Flagg, Khaman Maluach and Kon Kneuppel — but was caught lacking on a few fronts in just their third loss of the season. Flagg, despite having a solid all-around game, saw an inefficient night from the floor, Maluach saw one of his least impactful games of the season, and only Kneuppel was able to find his rhythm.

On Wednesday night, both team and individual players were able to re-steady themselves.

Against California, the Blue Devils coasted to a 78-57 blowout win, largely led by another gargantuan but unsurprising game from Flagg.

The 6-foot-9 forward, who’s cruising towards being the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, added 27 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steal. He finished shooting 8-for-14 overall, hitting two of his four threes and a perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line.

Maluach, the five-star 7-footer who’s anchored the Blue Devils interior all season, also re-found his groove. He scored 10 points, came down with 12 rebounds, dished three assists and issued a block. Knueppel added just six points on less than ideal splits, but still did plenty to take pressure off his draft counterparts.

All in all, it was a much-needed bounce-back performance for Duke, who will assuredly look to make a deep NCAA Tournament run under the leadership of head coach Jon Scheyer.

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