During Duke’s senior night win, “One more year! One more year!” chants echoed through the Cameron Indoor Stadium. In the match against Wake Forest, Cooper Flagg delivered an impressive performance, scoring 28 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three blocks, truly worthy of a future NBA star. Understandably, fans haven’t stopped daydreaming over the possibility of seeing Flagg play  another season. However, with the way his teammates are stepping up, he might not need to make a return.

On ESPN’s radio show 99.9 The Fan, show hosts Paul Ihander and Graham Hill discussed Duke’s performance in absence of their star forward. In Duke’s match against Florida State on Saturday, Flagg faced an eye injury scare. This unexpected outcome resulted in the rest of the team showing their true mettle! Especially, Isaiah Evans. Duke needed someone to step up and Evans did. “Jon Scheyer talked about guys in this roster stepping up when their numbers called, and always being ready so you don’t have to get ready. Isaiah Evans has been a true example of that.”

Flagg was struck on the face twice on hard fouls and had to exit the game early, playing only 20 minutes. Despite his absence, the Blue Devils didn’t let up against the Seminoles. The freshman guard Evans stepped up by delivering 19 points in just 24 minutes and widening the gap between the two teams. He made tough shots and gave his team an immediate boost.

The show hosts also highlighted how well the freshman was shooting. Evans is averaging about 8 points per game on near 45% from both the field and the three. “If you’re looking for the hot hand at the end of the season who is maximizing the most of his time, it is Evans.” This goes to show the kind of a team Duke is. They have a roster packed with talent, resulting in players stepping up like this on any given day. Not to mention, the team has the hunger to win really badly.

With the winning momentum and brilliant coaching on their side, Duke is ready for the post-season success. And about another year at Duke for Cooper Flagg? It might not even be necessary. Jon Scheyer has consistently recruited talented players at Duke that are future stars are in the pipeline. that said, Cooper Flagg might have another problem going ahead. Though, he might welcome this challenge.

Duke sharpshooter gives Cooper Flagg competition for ACC honors?

The Blue Devils have been at the top of their game lately. Naturally, there were bound to be a few individual success stories. The one standing out the most is probably Isaiah Evans. After a slow start to the season, and limited playing time, he has shown the ACC why Duke recruited him.

Evans’ recent games have been nothing short of a showcase! He shot over 60% from deep for three games straight, even shooting 5-6 against the Virginia Cavaliers. There’s been no doubt, his performance stands out and cannot go unnoticed. The ACC conference officially recognized that.

The Blue Devils sharpshooter is now giving Cooper Flagg some real competition, winning his ACC Rookie of the Week honors! He’s the third Blue Devils player to win it after Kon Kneuppel won it the first week. Flagg, however, has won it a total of eleven times so far.

For Duke, it is definitely a plus showcasing the potential of players other than Flagg. With the star wing projected to go first in this year’s draft, the Blue Devils need to show that they’ll be fine without him. They must focus on the road ahead. The post-season is going to be tough, and they’re going to need every single advantage that they have if they want to win.