“You can always tell a champion in the making.” Such was the case of rising freshman Cooper Flagg. There was rarely a dull moment in the 6’9″ guard’s freshman season. His talent has impressed fans so much that people are now asking his old coaches about his early basketball days. Was the Duke Blue Devils hooper always super-talented? How did he reach where he is today? But first, let’s see what an ex-coach thinks of his ACC dominance.

Flagg’s ex-coach Andy Bedard opened up about his performance in the current season while talking at ESPN’s Countdown to Gameday. He said, “He could be one of the most improved players throughout the season because he hasn’t seen that level of five men on the floor mostly older than him. He’s playing against really good coaches that plan and scheme for him. I think you can see the progress he’s making and learning from those mistakes”

If Cooper can adapt this quickly to the cutthroat ACC powerhouses, NCAA teams are in for a serious challenge. But still, opponent players and rival coaches are having a hard time preparing and planning to adapt to Cooper Flagg’s aggressive scoring abilities.

He has become an even more intimidating player to face since he has dominated Notre Dame with a stellar 42-point performance. The Maine-born hooper is paving the path to the Devils’ ACC championship with each game. The young hooper rarely misses a shot and exceeds 8 rebounds like it’s nothing.

Bedard went on to discuss what it was like to coach him when he was even younger. He pointed out how having a player like Flagg affects the morale and standard of the whole team and sent a warning to the other NCAA teams who may not be anticipating just what Flagg can be.

Bedard said, “From a skill standpoint doing all of those things it makes it really easy for a coach to demand that from everybody else. [Flagg plays] almost like a seasoned vet that just wants to win a championship he’s always played that way since I’ve known him”

Perhaps its his mindset of a seasoned professional sportsman that has stood him apart from his peers. He was almost going to be the Naismith Prep Player of the Year back in high school. He was consistently a five-star rated player since his high school triumphs with the Florida Eagles. It was his extraordinary talent that made him an early recruit for the Duke Blue Devils.

For now, let’s look at Flagg’s latest on-court triumph that has once again made his fans back in Maine proud to see him.

Cooper Flagg continues his ACC supremacy by beating Boston

Maine native Cooper Flagg had an outstanding game on Saturday night, as the No. 3 Duke beat Boston College 88-63, owning the court at Conte Forum. It’s interesting to note that Flagg grew up as a Boston Celtics fan himself.

Flagg made 9 of the 14 shots, scoring a game-high of 28 points. With 5 rebounds and 4 assists, his spectacular performance helped Duke win their 12th straight game. Duke bagged one of the top places at the ACC and moved up in the race for a national title.

Despite their loss, Boston College started the game with a 7-point lead, but the tables turned in the second half. Duke outscored Boston College 48-29 and raced for the win. The Blue Devils also strengthened their defense, limiting Boston College to just 32% shooting in the second half. Junior guard, Tyrese Proctor, displayed teamwork and scored a season-high 20 points on 7 of 12 shooting.

For now, the Devils enjoy a week-long break until they face the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on the weekend. Let’s see if Cooper Flagg manages to break their 5-wins streak in the away game.