Ryan Mutombo (12) has scored 16 points with 14 rebounds in the two games he has played. (photo by Danny Karnik)
Announcers said it so much this season, it bordered on meme material. But as of Saturday, Cooper Flagg, Duke’s 6-9 freshman and projected No. 1 NBA Draft pick, will officially no longer be 17.
The ACC’s Preseason Rookie of the Year, Flagg (16.6 ppg, 9.0 rpg) will celebrate his birthday on Saturday, though he’s played like an adult for a while. He’s a fluid wing who plays with leverage and an advanced feel for the game, able to pull up for soft jumpers and score from a variety of angles. He’s also an edgy defender who can guard all five positions.
Flagg may command the most attention, but he’s not the only Duke player who can fill it up. Six-foot-6 freshman Kon Knueppel (11.6 ppg) has drawn borderline lottery buzz as a polished, natural scorer, while junior point guard Tyrese Proctor (11.4 ppg) has shown improved touch from three-point range.
It’s odd to say of a team that ranks 12th nationally in offensive efficiency, Duke has struggled with offensive droughts. Paint touches have been hit-or-miss. Spacing has sometimes been an issue. And though they didn’t get the win in any of them, Georgia Tech held Oklahoma, North Carolina and Northwestern – two ranked teams and a back-to-back NCAA Tournament team, respectively – to 37.1% field goal shooting.
Can Tech be physical as Duke tries to manipulate its pick-and-rolls? Can they play well in gaps and run out to shooters with active hands? The Blue Devils lead the ACC in made threes per game; Tech will have to attack long rebounds and win scrambles. Pay attention to freshman guard Isaiah Evans (8.8 ppg), who has made 13 of his last 22 threes.
Ryan Mutombo earned his first start against UMBC following his 10-point, 7-rebound burst off the bench against Northwestern. There was something poetic about the choice of opponent – Mutombo’s career highs in points (15) and rebounds (11) came against UMBC as a freshman at Georgetown. Incidentally, Mutombo’s father, the late Dikembe Mutumbo, was roommates at Georgetown with Damon Stoudamire’s cousin Antoine.
Tech finished with a season-high 75% assist rate against UMBC, which comes at an opportune time. The Blue Devils have balanced out that unevenness offensively with bracing defense, ranking second nationally in defensive efficiency and third in field goal defense (35.5%). Flagg has predatory versatility, 7-2 freshman Khaman Maluach is a rangy rim protector, and 6-8 Syracuse transfer Maliq Brown is an athletic switchblade who covers ground well. They also have long guards who can all switch and smother.
The Jackets will need to set firm screens, cut with pace, and keep its ball movement brisk to chop down Duke’s nation-leading average height. Can they also avoid the long, out-of-rhythm shots that often become the first pass in an opponent’s fast break? The Blue Devils won’t hesitate to attack off long misses, and the Jackets have allowed 80 fast break points over the last four games.
