BOSTON (AP) — Duke freshman Cooper Flagg won’t be making the trip to Maine, so fans made the trip to Chestnut Hill Saturday night to play possibly the only No. 1 overall draft pick against Boston University. I watched them compete in a match. New England this season.
Flagg had 28 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocked shots, helping the third-ranked Blue Devils beat BC 88-63 in front of a sold-out house for the first time this season, winning their 12th straight game. Fans travel more than three hours just to see him.
“This has been a dream I’ve had since I was a kid and all my life to be in that position that I’m in now,” Flagg told reporters afterward. “So I’m just trying to enjoy it and just trying to stay in the moment.”
Fans wearing Duke jerseys, many of whom made the 345-mile drive from near Newport, Maine, filled Conte Forum for the first time this season. As BC supporters filed out for the final minute, Duke fans stayed until the buzzer and gave a final cheer as Flagg left the court after the game.
“The level of support is huge and just seeing them come and support me means a lot to me. It gives me a lot of confidence,” Flagg said. “Being from Maine…when I was a kid, it was easy to not believe in myself or think I can’t do this. I just don’t really care where you’re from. I want to keep proving that if you stick to it and keep working hard, you can achieve anything.”
Flagg said he grew up as a sports fan in Boston, rooting for the professional teams closest to his hometown: the Celtics, Patriots and Red Sox. On Friday night, Flagg and several teammates, including former Blue Devil Jayson Tatum, watched the Celtics defeat the Magic. (Orlando’s Paolo Banchero also attended Duke University.)
Duke’s other scheduled trips up north include playing in Syracuse next month, while the March Madness regional finals are in Providence, Rhode Island. Flagg said he had heard from many people in his hometown about going on the trip. A television reporter told Flagg after the game that he interviewed a fan from Aroostook County, on the Canadian border between Quebec and New Brunswick.
“Just being in that environment was great for us,” Duke coach John Scheyer said. “What a special participant. Look, we’re almost here in Maine. We’ve been here many times. The representation of Duke fans has always been great. I think it was the best I’ve ever seen.
“And I think a lot of it has to do with Maine. So it was pretty special to see that,” Scheier said. “And obviously he backed that up with his play.”
