Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and other Duke stars open up on their feelings after beating North Carolina

North Carolina v Duke - Source: Getty
Cooper Flagg (#2) and Kon Knueppel (#7) of the Duke Blue Devils celebrate with the Cameron Crazies following their victory over the North Carolina Tar Heels at Cameron Indoor Stadium on February 01, 2025 in Durham, North Carolina. Photo: Getty

Cooper Flagg and the Duke Blue Devils extended their winning streak to 15 games on Saturday night, beating the North Carolina Tar Heels 87-70 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Flagg participated in several interviews after the game to discuss the victory, including a chat with teammates Kon Knueppel, Sion James and Tyrese Proctor.

The Blue Devils' account on X (formerly Twitter) posted a 49-second clip of James interviewing Flagg, Knueppel and Proctor in the locker room after their victory over North Carolina. James first asked Knueppel how he felt after scoring 22 points in the win against the Tar Heels.

"It feels great, man," Knueppel said. "It feels great. Do it, my guys. Do it in front of the fans."

James then asked Proctor what he was thinking after the Duke guard produced a big-time performance against their bitter rivals.

"It’s always good when you beat [North] Carolina," Proctor said. "I think we responded well after last year, 0-2. Proud of these guys, proud of our team. It was a great win."

James lastly asked Cooper Flagg how he felt after the Duke star delivered another big performance against North Carolina.

"It’s a great feeling," Flagg said. "Incredible atmosphere in there. It was so fun to play in front of the students and get the win."

James also opened up about his feelings after Duke's win.

"Atmosphere was crazy," James said. "That was different, man. It feels better. We were up by 30, wished we won it by 30. Either way, that was crazy. I love it. Go Crazies, man."

The Blue Devils got off to a terrific start in the first half, unleashing a 16-0 run to grab a 23-6 lead with 13:16 remaining in the opening period. Flagg told reporters what he saw from the North Carolina defense in the early stages of the contest.

"For me, going into the game, I don’t really know what the defense is gonna do. The first couple of possessions for me is always figuring out what they’re gonna do," Flagg said. "So just figuring that out and just kind of making plays. I felt the double early. I was able to make the plays."

Cooper Flagg credited the home fans for Duke's fast start against North Carolina.

"It was a great start," Flagg said. "We came out with a really good energy. The building was jumping. That was a great start."

Cooper Flagg continues hot scoring in win over North Carolina

Cooper Flagg helped the No. 2 Duke Blue Devils pull away in the first half, scoring 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting during that period. The Blue Devils led by as many as 27 points in the first half before settling for a 47-25 advantage at the break.

Cooper Flagg (#2) of the Duke Blue Devils is defended by Seth Trimble #7 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the second half of their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Photo: Getty
Cooper Flagg (#2) of the Duke Blue Devils is defended by Seth Trimble #7 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the second half of their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Photo: Getty

Flagg finished the matchup with 21 points. It was the 12th time this season that the teen phenom has scored at least 20 points in a game. He has reached that mark in Duke's last four outings.

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Edited by R. Elahi
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