Wake Forest received the full Cooper Flagg experience on Monday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
While Flagg was outstanding yet again, his teammates weren't bad either as Duke rolled past Wake Forest 93-60.
The Blue Devils, who clinched at least a share of the ACC's regular-season title, improved to 27-3 overall and 18-1 in the ACC. They also went perfect at home this season at 17-0 and won their seventh straight.
The Demon Deacons fell to 20-10 overall and 12-7 in the ACC as they lost for the 26th straight time in Durham. The last time the Demon Deacons won was in Tim Duncan's senior season in 1997.
Flagg, the probable ACC player of the year, scored 28 points, had eight rebounds and seven assists and three blocks playing in what will likely be his final game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The freshman is likely the top pick in the NBA Draft this summer.
When Flagg finally checked out with 3:24 left the students chanted "one more year, one more year."
It wasn't just Flagg, however, who had a good game. Kon Knueppel, another freshman, had 17 points, five rebounds and four assists. Tyrese Proctor returned after missing a game with an injury and scored 19 points with four rebounds and two assists.
The Demon Deacons made a mini run to start the second half and cut their halftime deficit to seven, but that didn't last long. Flagg scored four straight baskets, and the rout was on for the Blue Devils, who could land a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The Demon Deacons fell to 2-7 this season against Quad 1 teams, which is one of the metrics for getting an NCAA Tournament berth. The way it stands now the only way they could get into the NCAA's is by winning the automatic bid that comes with winning the ACC Tournament next week in Charlotte.
Efton Reid and Ty-Lau Johnson led the Demon Deacons with 14 points each and Hunter Sallis had nine points.
The Demon Deacons went physical with their man-to-man defense in the first half and for a little while knocked back the Blue Devils. But once the Blue Devils got it going, they had as much as a 16-point lead in the first half.
Both teams struggled to find any flow offensively with the Demon Deacons shooting 28% in the first half and the Blue Devils shooting 39%.
After going 19 for 19 on free throws in the win over Notre Dame on Saturday the Demon Deacons were 7 of 10 in the first half.
The Blue Devils led 40-27 at the break with Flagg scoring 10 points but they weren't easy. Just about every time Flagg got the ball there was a double team but Flagg did create enough space for himself to do damage.
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The Demon Deacons will close the regular season on Saturday at 2:15 p.m. at Joel Coliseum against Georgia Tech. The seniors will be honored, and the game will be broadcast on The CW.
The Blue Devils will close the regular season on Saturday in Chapel Hill against North Carolina. The game will start at 6:30 p.m. and be broadcast on ESPN.
Noteworthy
* Jon Scheyer secured his 80th career victory on Saturday, equaling Bill Guthridge (North Carolina, 1997-2000) for the most wins by an ACC coach in their first three seasons.
* Cooper Flagg, who turned 18 years old on Dec. 21, be-came the first ACC player to amass 500 points, 100 assists and 30 blocks in the regular season in the last 25 years.
* Flagg ranks among the ACC's top-10 in four of the five major statistical categories - scoring (3rd), rebounding (9th), assists (8th) and steals (10th), and is 13th in blocked shots.
* Wake Forest was the first - and only - ACC program to sweep the West Coast trip with victories at Stanford and Cal in a four-day span in February. Additionally, they defeated SMU in Dallas late last month.
* Six of the Deacs' 12 ACC victories before Monday's game have come on the road this season, as Wake Forest has traveled to Syracuse, Miami, Virginia Tech, Stanford, Cal and SMU and won. The six ACC road victories are tied for the most in program history alongside the 1996-97 team.
Forbes talks general manager role
While college athletics is getting to look more and more like the professional level programs are hiring general managers.
North Carolina's basketball team hired a general manager in Jim Tanner, who was an agent for more than 70 NBA players. His role will be to help manage the roster, negotiate NIL contracts as well as hire scouts and analytics staff.
Coach Steve Forbes of Wake Forest was asked last week about having a general manager for his program.
"What else does he do?" Forbes asked. "And I don't mean that in a disrespectful way, but when the portal (closes) then what. Does he raise money or try go get more NIL deals with businesses across the country?"
Forbes said he wouldn't want a general manager because he would want control of the guys he is coaching and recruited.
"That doesn't mean a year from now I won't change my mind," Forbes said. "I just don't think it's necessary. Everybody on the staff can recruit and there no rules against that."
Forbes says it's more about making sure he knows his own locker room.
"I'm not being critical of anybody that gets that job," Forbes said. "Right now, where we're at, I don't necessarily think that we that we need it, but somebody else may think different. Maybe five years from now, everybody will have one, so we've got to wait and see how this goes."
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ACC Schedule
Tuesday's Games
North Carolina at Virginia Tech | ESPNU | 7 PM
Miami at Georgia Tech | ACCN | 7 PM
Syracuse at SMU | ESPNU | 9 PM
Florida State at Virginia | ACCN | 9 PM
Wednesday's Games
Clemson at Boston College | ESPNU | 7 PM
Pitt at NC State | ESPNNews | 7 PM
California at Louisville | ACCN | 9 PM
Stanford at Notre Dame | ESPNU | 9 PM
Saturday's Games
NC State at Miami | The CW | Noon
Stanford at Louisville | ESPNU | 2 PM
Georgia Tech at Wake Forest | The CW | 2:15 PM
SMU at Florida State | ESPNU | 4 PM
California at Notre Dame | ACCN | 4 PM
Virginia Tech at No. 11/11 Clemson | ESPNU | 6 PM
Boston College at Pitt | ACCN | 6 PM
Duke at North Carolina | ESPN | 6:30 PM
Virginia at Syracuse | ACCN | 8 PM
Tuesday-Saturday, March 11-15
2025 T. Rowe Price ACC Tournament
Spectrum Center in Charlotte
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