Freshmen Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel help No. 7 Duke roll past Maine 96-62 in season opener
Cooper Flagg's electric jams highlight exciting Duke debut
Cooper Flagg puts together a full stat line with 18 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals in his debut game for Duke against Maine.
DURHAM, N.C. -- — Star freshman Cooper Flagg had 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists in his college debut, and No. 7 Duke beat Maine 96-62 on Monday night in the season opener for both teams.
The 6-foot-9, 205-pound Flagg — the nation’s top-ranked recruit and a preseason Associated Press All-American — made 6 of 15 shots and all six of his free throws. Fellow rookie Kon Knueppel powered the offense with 22 points and three 3-pointers for the Blue Devils (1-0), who shot 55.6% for the game.
Quion Burns scored 15 points for the Black Bears (0-1), which shot just 6 for 24 (25%) after halftime as Duke pulled away.
Maine: The Black Bears were picked fourth in the America East, their highest projected finish since the 2010-11 season. They hung around in the first half (45.5% shooting) but everything was a struggle after the break.
Duke: The Atlantic Coast Conference favorite had six players score in double figures, including returnees Caleb Foster (11) and Tyrese Proctor (10).
Duke pulled away with an 11-0 run in the second half. Knueppel made a corner 3 off a feed from Flagg and Sion James scored twice in the paint to push the margin to 60-39 with 14:33 left.
Knueppel, a 6-7 wing, had 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting with a pair of 3s by halftime. That included a 4-point play in transition that had him outscoring Maine 13-9 in those opening 7 1/2 minutes as Duke ran out to a double-digit lead.
The Blue Devils host Army on Friday in a home tuneup before facing No. 23 Kentucky in next week's Champions Classic in Atlanta. The Black Bears return home Wednesday to host Maine-Fort Kent, a United States Collegiate Athletic Association member.
------
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
Game Information
- Referees:
- A.J. Desai
- J.W. Lucas
- Ryan Sassano
2024-25 America East Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bryant | 4-0 | - | 10-9 |
| Maine | 4-1 | 0.5 | 12-8 |
| Vermont | 3-1 | 1 | 10-9 |
| UMass Lowell | 2-2 | 2 | 13-6 |
| UAlbany | 2-3 | 2.5 | 10-10 |
| New Hampshire | 2-3 | 2.5 | 4-16 |
| UMBC | 1-3 | 3 | 9-10 |
| NJIT | 1-3 | 3 | 4-15 |
| Binghamton | 1-4 | 3.5 | 9-11 |
2024-25 Atlantic Coast Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke | 8-0 | - | 16-2 |
| Clemson | 7-1 | 1 | 15-4 |
| Louisville | 7-1 | 1 | 14-5 |
| Wake Forest | 6-1 | 1.5 | 14-4 |
| SMU | 5-2 | 2.5 | 14-4 |
| North Carolina | 5-2 | 2.5 | 12-7 |
| Florida State | 4-3 | 3.5 | 13-5 |
| Stanford | 4-3 | 3.5 | 12-6 |
| Pittsburgh | 3-4 | 4.5 | 12-6 |
| Syracuse | 3-4 | 4.5 | 9-9 |
| Virginia Tech | 3-4 | 4.5 | 8-10 |
| California | 2-5 | 5.5 | 9-9 |
| NC State | 2-5 | 5.5 | 9-9 |
| Notre Dame | 2-5 | 5.5 | 8-10 |
| Georgia Tech | 2-6 | 6 | 8-11 |
| Boston College | 1-6 | 6.5 | 9-9 |
| Virginia | 1-6 | 6.5 | 8-10 |
| Miami | 0-7 | 7.5 | 4-14 |
Men's College Basketball News