"Golly! He's terrific!": Virginia Tech HC remains in awe of "dandy" Cooper Flagg after Duke blowout win

Virginia Tech coach Mike Young can't say enough good things about Cooper Flagg after the Duke star punished the Hokies’ defense in the Blue Devils’ 88-65 win at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Tuesday. Young gave Flagg his flowers during the postgame press conference.

Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (#2) drives to the basket as Virginia Tech Hokies guard Brandon Rechsteiner (#7) defends during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Photo: Imagn

A reporter asked Young about the problems Flagg posed to his team during their ACC showdown. The Virginia Tech coach offered a humorous take, explaining that Flagg won’t be a problem for the Hokies after this season.

"He’s going to be here about three more months. He’s going to go on and he’s going to do very well for himself," Young said.

Young then turned serious, paying tribute to Flagg after witnessing his greatness in person during the Hokies’ final game of the year.

"Golly! He’s terrific! He’s a really good basketball player,” Young said. “Great skills. Floor it. Pass it. Makes the right basketball plays. Admired him by watching him on film and saw him a lot. After competing against him, even more so."

"He’s a dandy. He’s a great basketball player."

Flagg put on a show in front of Young and the Duke supporters in attendance for the Blue Devils' final game of 2024. He led all scorers with 24 points, shooting 9-for-14, including 2-for-4 from beyond the arc. Flagg was also automatic from the free throw line, converting all four of his attempts.

Flagg stuffed the stat sheet against Virginia Tech, recording six assists and three rebounds in 30 minutes of action. He also displayed his defensive prowess, nabbing a game-high four steals and adding one block.

Cooper Flagg leads Duke's balanced offense as Blue Devils rout Hokies

Cooper Flagg continued his scoring spree for No. 4 Duke, recording at least 20 points in four of the Blue Devils’ last six games. It wasn’t just Flagg, however, who dismantled Virginia Tech’s defense. Five other Duke players scored in double figures.

Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (#2) controls the ball in front of Virginia Tech Hokies forward Tobi Lawal (#1) during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Photo: Imagn

Fellow starters Kon Knueppel and Tyrese Proctor each scored 13 points, while Sion James added 10. Isaiah Evans and Mason Gillis provided offense off the bench, scoring 12 and 10 points, respectively.

With the victory, the Blue Devils improved their overall record to 11-2.