The Duke Blue Devils closed out their 2024-25 regular season in dominant fashion, securing an 82-69 victory over archrival North Carolina on Saturday night. The win not only pushed their record to an impressive 28-3 but also solidified their place at the top of the ACC standings, earning them the outright regular-season championship and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming conference tournament.
With momentum on their side, the Blue Devils now set their sights on postseason glory, beginning with a quarterfinal showdown against the winner of the No. 8 seed Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and No. 9 seed Virginia Cavaliers. Holding the top seed also grants Duke a valuable double bye, providing extra preparation time as they aim to further establish themselves as a national powerhouse.
A significant driving force behind Duke’s success this season has been the remarkable play of freshman sensation Cooper Flagg, whose performances have captivated the college basketball world.
The frontrunner for both ACC and National Player of the Year honors, Flagg has been nothing short of spectacular, averaging 19.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game. His ability to impact all facets of the game was on full display in Saturday’s rivalry win, where he contributed 15 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and four blocks, further cementing his reputation as one of the most complete players in the nation. His efforts did not go unnoticed, as the ACC named him its Player of the Week for a staggering 12th time this season.
Duke even took to social media to acknowledge the dominance, playfully suggesting that the conference consider renaming the award after him.
As the postseason looms, Flagg’s excellence has sparked a heated debate over the National Player of the Year award, where he is widely regarded as the leading candidate. Auburn’s Johni Broome remains in contention, but Duke head coach Jon Scheyer made his stance clear following Saturday’s victory. “For me, it’s Cooper,” Scheyer said without hesitation.
“That’s not knocking anybody—we played Broome, he’s a great player—but Cooper, the way he impacts every aspect of the game, I don’t think we’ve seen in college for a long time.” With the Blue Devils surging at the perfect time and Flagg continuing to showcase his brilliance, Duke enters the postseason as not only the ACC’s top team but a legitimate contender for the national championship.
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