Jon Scheyer 'Not Ashamed to Admit' Cooper Flagg's Duke Commitment Made Him Cry

Duke head coach Jon Scheyer was pretty emotional when he found out that Cooper Flagg had committed to the school back in Oct. 2023.

"I cried," he told The Athletic's Brendan Marks. "I'm not ashamed to admit it."

That decision now has Duke on the doorstep of its first national championship in men's basketball since the 2014-15 season. The Blue Devils have absolutely stomped their way to the Final Four, winning three of their four tournament games by 20 or more points.

And after also winning the ACC regular-season and conference titles, the Blue Devils look like the favorites to win it all.

Flagg has been the primary driver of that success. The freshman has lived up to the hype of being the top overall prospect in his recruiting class, averaging 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 48.3 percent from the field and 37.4 percent from three.

He impacts the game in every possible way, and while there have been some questions about his ability to perform in clutch moments, he's generally been spectacular. During the tournament, he's been unstoppable, averaging 19.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.8 blocks per contest.

Duke has a loaded roster beyond Flagg, of course. But his talent and playing style are the main catalysts for the team's success. He's also proven to be very coachable.

"You get all over him, and he takes it," Scheyer told Marks. "He's been amazing to coach because he's not above anything. And I think with him, he's as loyal of a person as you'll ever be around. So once you're in with him, you're in."

Now, Duke is hoping the result is a national championship.