Cooper Flagg says he will ‘always remember’ Duke basketball loss in Final Four
Some scars never fully heal and that’s exactly what the Duke basketball loss in the Final Four is to Cooper Flagg.
Months after the heartbreaking end to the season for the Blue Devils at the hands of the Houston Cougars in San Antonio, one game away from the National Championship, he revealed
Some scars never fully heal and that’s exactly what the Duke basketball loss in the Final Four is to Cooper Flagg.
Months after the heartbreaking end to the season for the Blue Devils at the hands of the Houston Cougars in San Antonio, one game away from the National Championship, he revealed that it is something he won’t forget.I always remember it, obviously,” Flagg said during his media avaiabeility on Tuesday afternoon prior to the NBA Draft.
“You have to take your wins in stride, and you have to take your losses in the same stride. Going through everything you have to learn how to deal with losses and learn from it.”
It was a mature take from Flagg, who is widely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft to the Dallas Mavericks. He was looking to finish his college career with a National Championship after sweeping the Player of the Year awards both on the national level and in the ACC.A title would have put him in the same conversation as Anthony Davis and Carmelo Anthony for the best freshman season in college basketball history.
“It’s not something I’m going to hold over my head and be completely worried about,” he continued. “But it’s something I’m going to use and learn from for the rest of my life for sure.”
Duke fell to Houston by three, 70-67, after leading by as many as 14 points with 11:45 remaining and also holding leads of seven, five, six, three, and one inside the final 90 seconds.
Cooper Flagg finished the game with 27 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three blocks, and two steals – a perfect encapsulation of how dominant he was as a college basketball player and a preview of what he will bring to the NBA.However, one thing is certain – Cooper Flagg will never forget Duke’s choke in the Final Four and neither will Blue Devil fans.
