The Duke Blue Devils defeated the Pitt Panthers at Cameron Indoor on Tuesday night by a score of 76-47. The victory for Jon Scheyer’s crew highlighted their defensive resilience, veteran depth, and included a few superstar plays from their unbelievable freshman.
Duke’s Defense Is Second to None
The Blue Devils’ defense has been smothering opponents this season. Currently third in scoring defense, Duke also near the top of the ranks in field goal percentage allowed. The Panthers, who average over 84 points per game, were held to just 47 and failed to score on their final 11 possessions.
11 straight stops to close the game is that good 🛑
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) January 8, 2025
Duke’s calling card this year has been defending the paint. Pitt only managed 31% from the field, finding driving lanes and points in the paint smothered by the likes of the massive freshman Khaman Maluach and the savvy veteran Maliq Brown. This tandem might boast the most defensive ability of any frontcourt in the country.
Brown has been averaging over 2 steals per game over the past two seasons and is constantly getting deflections and poke-aways. Able to defend bigger centers and more mobile forwards, he is truly a unique weapon for Scheyer. Meanwhile, Maluach is simply a mountain in the paint. The 7′ 2” freshman from South Sudan has a 9′ 8” wingspan. Although he only averages one block per game, he is always impacting shots, forcing tough floaters, and scaring drivers into kicking the ball back outside.
Duke Has the Veteran Depth to Make a Legitimate Title Run
As was recently discussed in an article on Cooper Flagg, veteran depth is absolutely critical for teams hoping to lift the championship in college basketball. While Duke is notorious for attracting the top freshman talent, which usually quickly departs for the professional ranks, this year’s squad has a number of veterans that allow them to stack up to other contenders such as Tennessee or Iowa State.
Junior point guard Tyrese Proctor’s scoring, efficiency, and assist to turnover ratio have all been improved this year. Transfer guard Sion James is a senior, bringing energy and toughness to the backcourt. The aforementioned Brown is a crucial piece for the defensive end, and lastly, transfer Mason Gillis, despite being in the middle of a shooting slump, is an important player who has brings experience that few in college basketball have. Gillis played on the Purdue team that last year, made it to the national title game.
Cooper Flagg Delivered A Signature Moment vs Pitt on Tuesday
As important as the veteran aspect of this Duke team is, Cooper Flagg is what makes this team go. On pace to have the greatest freshman season of any Blue Devil in history, Flagg has come up with what will be the signature highlight from his Duke career, posterizing Pitt center Guillermo Diaz-Graham.
COOPER FLAGG JUST WENT COAST-TO-COAST AND POSTERIZED THE DEFENDER 😱🔥
ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Z5jcZ756ew
— ESPN (@espn) January 8, 2025
With Coach K in the house, Flagg delivered a monumental moment that immediately drew comparisons to Zion Williamson’s legendary 360-dunk vs Clemson. There will not be many better highlights from anywhere in basketball in 2025. Flagg was outstanding overall, with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists. Despite the 3 turnovers, Flagg still continues to show a mastery of the game that few college players have every displayed.
Fellow freshman Kon Kneuppel had himself a stellar evening as well, going 4-7 from three-point land en route to 17 points. Kneuppel has really turned it up over the last several contests after some streaky shooting early. With the devastating freshman trio of Kneuppel, Maluach, and Flagg already playing so well, it’s hard not to expect great things from this Duke team moving forward. Next up for the Devils is another home game against Notre Dame.
For More Great Basketball Content
Follow @HardwoodHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in the NBA and college basketball, click here!
