SYRACUSE — Following No. 2 Duke’s 29-point drubbing of Syracuse Wednesday night at the JMA Wireless Dome, second-year Orange coach Adrian Autry said the Blue Devils may very well be the best team in the country.
Who’d argue with Autry after freshman forward/guard Cooper Flagg, the projected No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA Draft, only needed 11 points on seven field goals as Duke (20-2, 12-0 in Atlantic Coast Conference play) never trailed during their 83-54 win. Former Orange forward Maliq Brown even made an impact in the junior’s first game in Central New York since transferring from Syracuse.
Senior forward Jyare Davis and hometown junior guard JJ Starling led Syracuse (10-13, 4-8) with 12 points each, but it wasn’t nearly enough as the Orange dropped their fourth game in five tries in front of 23,313 spectators, which Syracuse said was the largest attendance in the country this season.
Syracuse vs. Cooper Flagg
Flagg is a 6-foot-9 perimeter player who’s considered the best player in the nation. The Maine product has been a star for years during his progression through the high school ranks, earning multiple national player of the year honors before arriving at Duke.
Praised for his all-around game, Flagg filled the stat sheet while playing under 28 minutes. He shot 4 of 7 from the field, made one 3-pointer, blocked two shots and added two assists. Flagg is averaging 20 points, eight rebounds and over four assists per game.
Duke coach Jon Scheyer praised Flagg for his unselfish play though would have liked to see him more aggressive. Flagg rarely looked for his own shot and instead played through his offense. Tyrese Proctor (16 points), Kon Knueppel (12), SIan James (10) and Isaiah Evans (10) also scored double-digit points as the Blue Devils won their 16th straight contest.
“Sometimes I get mad at Coop because … when he gets some separation he wants everybody else to step up. But I think that’s part of what makes him special,” Scheyer said.
Davis guarded Flagg as Syracuse mostly manned up on defense with the starters on the floor. Davis said his team had “stretches where we were good defensively,” but the Orange struggled on offense. They shot 23 for 60 from the floor, 6 for 23 from 3-point range, and allowed 23 points on their 14 turnovers.
Autry said Naheem McLeod, a 7-foot-4 senior center, was the “only bright spot” for Syracuse, with his 10-point outing off the bench. Autry admitted Duke’s length bothered them, and perhaps prevented them from drawing fouls. The Orange attempted just one free throw for the first 37 minutes. They finished 2 for 4 from the line and trailed by as many as 31 points.
“I guess we can contribute that to settling, but I know with a player like me, I drive a lot game in and game out, but I don’t shoot a lot of free throws. I don’t know if that’s just me avoiding contact or I’m just not getting calls,” Starling said.
“I thought we settled for some then when we did get in there we didn’t finish. a lot of that had to do with their defense,” Autry said.
Syracuse vs. Maliq Brown
Brown impacted the game as a reserve. He led Duke with eight rebounds, scored six points and recorded three steals in 22 minutes. Scheyer said Brown’s arrival has “dramatically” changed the dynamic of his team mainly as a “menace” on defense.
“He’s the ultimate teammate. He’s incredibly unselfish. He’s been everything we’ve asked for and more,” Scheyer said.
Kyle Cuffe Jr. was roommates with Brown before transferring to Raleigh, North Carolina. Syracuse’s redshirt guard, though, didn’t talk to his former teammate at all leading up to Wednesday’s game.
“There’s no point in talking to him. He’s not my teammate anymore. But I still love Maliq. That’s my boy forever,” Cuffe Jr. said. “We could’ve fought a little harder against him and the Duke guys but we’ll figure it out.”
Syracuse junior Chris Bell, who scored all nine of his points from 3-point land, said he Facetimes Brown often, but had a different attitude once the ball was tipped Wednesday.
“I always talk to Maliq. That’s my guy. But not during the game, though. That’s not my thing,” Bell said.
What’s next
Syracuse will try to bounce back when they host Boston College (10-12, 7-6) at 3:15 p.m. Saturday.
Duke visits Clemson (18-5, 11-2) at 6 p.m. Saturday. The Blue Devils’ only losses are nonconference November setbacks to Kentucky and Kansas.
— Marquel Slaughter is a journalist for the Democrat and Chronicle, specializing in high school sports. He won numerous Associated Press and NYNPA awards for his work in print and broadcasting throughout his 15-year career as a reporter. Follow him @MarquelSports and X and Instagram. You can email him at mslaughter1@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Syracuse vs Duke score: Maliq Brown returns to aid Blue Devil win
