DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — The Cooper Flagg era in Durham officially begins Monday night as Duke men’s basketball opens the 2024-2025 regular season as one of the top 10 teams in the nation.
The No. 7 Blue Devils (0-0) host Maine (0-0) at Cameron Indoor Stadium Monday night. Tip off in Durham is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Flagg is the No. 1 recruit in the 2024 freshman class and is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s NBA draft. This season, Flagg is the only underclassman to make the preseason AP All-America team. But he’s not the only heralded freshman on Duke’s squad this year, as the Blue Devils have the top-ranked recruiting class this year with three other five-star prospects other than Flagg and one four-star. That, combined with the return of starters Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster, have led to a high preseason ranking for Jon Scheyer’s team.
Maine’s campus is in Orono, less than a 40-mile drive from Flagg’s hometown of Newport. The Black Bears play in the America East Conference and have faced Duke just once before, a contest in December 2016 that the Blue Devils won handily.
Duke next plays Friday night at home against Army before traveling to Atlanta next week for a neutral site game against the Kentucky Wildcats on Tuesday night.