“Whew, yeah,” Illinois head coach Brad Underwood mentioned to start his postgame information convention. “Duke’s good.”
The veracity of that assertion, which appeared clear from the second Scheyer inked the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class, together with a number of high-profile transfers, was a part of the impetus for why this occasion occurred in any respect. The sport itself, dubbed the “SentinelOne Basic,” was a comparatively late addition to this yr’s faculty basketball calendar, with the formal announcement approaching Aug. 14, 2024, after the Blue Devils had sought a prepared dance associate for an more and more uncommon, late-February, non-conference matchup between high-level applications. By that time — rather less than three months earlier than the common season started and close to the conclusion of school basketball’s summer time exercises — each coaches have been keenly conscious of the NBA-caliber expertise that graced their respective rosters, together with a half-dozen potential first-round picks subsequent summer time alone.
For Scheyer, that meant an opportunity to showcase the nation’s No. 1 total recruit in Flagg, a local of Newport, Maine, which is roughly seven hours from New York Metropolis, and the unbelievable assortment of expertise round him. Along with Flagg, who will nearly definitely be the primary participant chosen on this yr’s draft, the Blue Devils additionally boast two extra doubtless lottery picks in freshmen Kon Knueppel (15 factors, 4 rebounds) and Khaman Maluach (13 factors, seven rebounds), to not point out a pair of doubtless second-round picks in Tulane switch Sion James (11 factors, six assists) and junior Tyrese Proctor (12 factors, 4 assists). There is a robust probability Duke will produce three top-10 picks in the identical draft for the primary time since 2019 — when Zion Williamson went No. 1 total, R.J. Barrett went No. 3 total and Cam Reddish went No. 10 total — and simply the second time in program historical past.
For Underwood, who informed reporters earlier this week that he’d prefer to play one non-conference recreation per season at Madison Sq. Backyard, scheduling this recreation in opposition to this crew meant creating an unbelievable stage for Jakucionis, the true freshman from Lithuania by the use of FC Barcelona in Spain. Scouts and NBA executives had been conversant in Jakucionis for a number of years, each as a member of Barcelona’s second crew — although he did make some cameos with the membership’s high squad — and as a number one determine for the Lithuanian youth nationwide groups. He averaged 13 factors, 4.4 rebounds and three.9 assists per recreation within the FIBA U18 European Championship in 2023 after which was named to the all-tournament crew for the Adidas Subsequent Technology Match in spring 2024 when he exploded for 17.9 factors, 9 assists, 6.3 rebounds and a couple of.9 steals. Now, throughout his first season on this nation, Jakucionis has already set the Illinois freshman report with 10 video games of 20-plus factors and can be part of Flagg within the lottery later this yr, maybe creeping into the highest 5 picks. His Illinois teammate, freshman ahead Will Riley, can also be considered as a doable first-round choose.
“Whenever you’re speaking a couple of big-time, nationally televised recreation in Madison Sq. Backyard,” an NBA govt informed FOX Sports activities earlier within the week, “you at all times wish to see how they compete in simply the identical approach when it turns into do-or-die in convention tournaments or the NCAA Match. For instance one among them has a poor recreation. You do not wish to over-emphasize that, nevertheless it does go into the dialogue. Gamers get reputations as having the ability to step onto the massive stage and play properly or not. Will one among them be overly helped or overly damage? Most likely not. Nevertheless it does allow you to, you realize, when it comes to making an attempt to determine their mentality, the place they’re when it comes to what platform they’re able to play on, and all that stuff.”
The stage was as embellished because it will get in faculty basketball earlier than a sold-out crowd of 19,812 stuffing Madison Sq. Backyard to the ceiling. Followers of each applications flooded into Manhattan for a night on the game’s largest stage, the primary of two high-profile showdowns this venue will host in roughly 16 hours, with No. 10 St. John’s internet hosting UConn on Sunday afternoon (Midday ET, FOX). Their orange and blue regalia matched the lighting on the outside of this well-known constructing, simply borrowed and repurposed from the New York Knicks for the Illini and Blue Devils, respectively. Many within the sold-out crowd have been nonetheless buzzing about catching matinées on Broadway earlier than submitting into the world lengthy earlier than tipoff on Saturday, injecting the pregame ambiance with a March Insanity really feel. Duke’s followers have lengthy referred to The Backyard as “Cameron North” in reference to Cameron Indoor Stadium, their on-campus enviornment in Durham, North Carolina, and chants of “Cooooooooooooooop” reverberated when Flagg was launched with the beginning lineup. The Blue Devils’ mascot sported a bit of tape throughout its brow with the letters ILL-ANNOYING scrawled in marker, longing for the sport to start.
Duke got here out firing from 3-point territory and rapidly sunk the Illini on an evening when Underwood’s crew missed its first 16 makes an attempt from past the arc and 24 of 26 by recreation’s finish. Not even the early foul hassle for Flagg, who sat for prolonged parts of the primary half, would stop the Blue Devils from scoring 54 factors within the opening stanza and leaving their opponent for useless. Jakucionis did not try a discipline purpose within the opening 10 minutes, ceding alternatives to a gaggle of working mates far much less gifted than the gamers surrounding Flagg, and was accountable for three of the misfires from lengthy vary. He completed with 14 factors on 4-for-10 capturing whereas grabbing seven rebounds and meting out six assists.
However with the second half got here a flurry of eye-popping moments from Flagg, whose preternatural abilities for a participant his dimension — listed at 6-foot 9 and 205 kilos — have been readily obvious on each ends of the ground. He appeared as comfy main the Blue Devils in transition, the place they held a 12-2 edge in fast-break factors, as he was bullying via contact for layups or fouls drawn across the rim. He held three fingers within the air after burying an open triple from the suitable wing early within the second half and later flipped a simple lob to Maluach for an alley-oop when the Illinois protection collapsed an excessive amount of consideration on the sport’s largest star.
“I simply assume that the physicality and the way in which he is enjoying in opposition to guys which were in faculty — they are often six years older than him, a few of these guys he is enjoying in opposition to — it does not even faze him,” the NBA govt mentioned. “I feel from that standpoint, his mentality, his physicality, that form of stuff, is what has been as spectacular as something.”
The ultimate ovation for Flagg and his NBA-bound associates got here with 6:35 remaining, by which level Duke’s lead had stretched to 37 and Scheyer may take away his starters for good, saving their legs for a date with Miami in three days’ time. It is one among solely 4 video games remaining earlier than the Blue Devils embark on the postseason, none of them in opposition to ranked opponents. And with in addition to Scheyer’s crew is enjoying proper now — 4 wins by a median of 29.5 factors per recreation for the reason that shock loss at Clemson on Feb. 8 — it may be some time earlier than his group is really examined down the stretch, if anybody can check this crew in any respect.
On the largest stage and beneath the brightest lights, every little thing went based on plan.
“Only a good, old style butt kicking,” Underwood mentioned. “Give all of them the credit score.”
Michael Cohen covers faculty soccer and basketball for FOX Sports activities with an emphasis on the Massive Ten. Observe him on Twitter @Michael_Cohen13.
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