Duke HC Jon Scheyer explains what makes superstar forward recruit different

Cooper Flagg is Duke’s most highly touted basketball prospect since Zion Williamson. Ranked as a five-star power forward and thought of as the consensus No. 1 overall recruit in the country, the expectations are sky high for the 6-foot-9 phenom from the legendary Montverde Academy.

Thing is, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer has seen a ton of big-time recruits in his time. Sure, he’s only been head coach at Duke for two seasons but he was on the bench next to Mike Krzyzewski for years before his promotion. Remember, Scheyer was also a top recruit himself once upon a time. He was the 2006 Illinois Mr. Basketball as well as a McDonald’s All-American.

So what is it that makes Flagg different than the rest?

For Scheyer, it’s all about competition.

“Cooper has been a joy to watch him play in high school, because no matter when I’ve seen him. If it’s Sunday morning at 8:00 AM after playing a few days. Whether it’s watching him play on ESPN, in the national championship game this year,” Scheyer told the ACC Network (h/t On3). “He always plays this same way. He always competes. 100 percent effort. And I think that’s a separator. Obviously, you look at his athleticism, talent, size, and skill is off the charts. But to me, it’s how he competes. And who he is as a teammate.”