Jon Scheyer calls Cooper Flagg's Sweet 16 showing 'one of the best tournament performances I've ever coached'

Jon Scheyer was in awe of Cooper Flagg during his team’s victory over Arizona in the Sweet 16. The young star’s fingerprints were all over the win for Duke — scoring 30 points, grabbing six rebounds and dishing out seven assists, while blocking three shots as well, proving he can get it done on both sides of the floor.

The stats don’t do it justice. Flagg put up a legendary performance inside the Prudential Center on Thursday night. It’s something you don’t see all the time in the NCAA Tournament, and Scheyer recognized that during his postgame press conference.

“That was one of the best tournament performances I’ve ever coached or been a part of,” the Blue Devils leader proclaimed, regarding Flagg. “Just how he was with you guys, that’s how he is. He just did what he was supposed to do. He’ll move on and get ready for Alabama. I think that’s the beauty of it with him. He doesn’t get caught up in all that.

“I thought he just had — what I’ve wanted from him is not to defer. I’ve just wanted him to fully be him, and I thought he was that. He was in his element tonight. He was him. He had just a great personality. He was loose, talking, competitive — the whole thing. He impresses me all the time. But we need more of that on Saturday.”

With Flagg leading the charge, Scheyer realizes the sky is the limit for his team. Duke has already won the ACC regular season crown, the conference tournament title and it will be favored against many of the teams remaining to win the NCAA Tournament. Their next clash will come on Saturday in the Elite 8 against the aforementioned Crimson Tide, and it certainly won’t be an easy task getting by the SEC program.

The Blue Devils saw firsthand what Alabama can do on Thursday. They put up historic numbers against BYU in Newark, right before Duke’s victory over Arizona. The Crimson Tide made 25-of-51 three-point attempts, and Mark Sears had an incredible game, scoring 34 and knocking down 10 threes all by himself.

Cooper Flagg wants to deliver a national title to Duke. If he wants to get it done, he’ll have to be on his game once again in New Jersey against Alabama. Time will tell if he’s able to, but a chance at the Final Four will be on the line on Saturday night. We’ll see what the 18-year old phenom can do.