Cooper Flagg on MSG debut: ‘My first time playing here, that was an incredible atmosphere’

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Basketball Cooper Flagg on MSG debut: ‘My first time playing here, that was an incredible atmosphere’ by Robert Rizzo February 24, 2025 Duke’s freshman superstar Cooper Flagg, a generational talent, made his Madison Square Garden this past Saturday night – Image Credit: Duke Men’s Basketball NEW YORK, NY — It has long been known that stars show up and show out in The Mecca of Basketball, Madison Square Garden. Making his MSG debut this past Saturday night vs. Illinois in the SentinelOne Classic, Duke Blue Devils’ star-studded freshman Cooper Flagg, the presumed No. 1 overall pick for this year’s upcoming NBA Draft, did just that and put on a show. As No. 3 ranked Duke ran the Fighting Illini off The Garden floor, 110-67, Illinois’ largest loss in program history — the 19-year-old combo guard/forward, listed at six-nine with a wingspan of seven-one — worked at ease to record 16 points (5-10 FG, 1/1 3PT, & 5-5 FT) with seven rebounds and five assists. The sold-out crowd of 19,812 in the building, who were mostly fans of the Blue Devils, witnessed Flagg and graduate guard Sion James (11 points, six assists, three boards) go off and combine for 27 of Duke’s 110 points as well as 11 of the team’s 28 assists. “My first time playing here (Madison Square Garden), that was an incredible atmosphere,” Flagg said. “I just love the energy, and saw so much blue in the crowd. It’s what coach (Jon Scheyer) told us we would see.” James, who also made his Garden debut in Saturday’s win, added, “It felt like a lot of Duke fans in the building. It was an unbelievable atmosphere. My first time playing here, and it was great.” Sion James and Cooper Flagg postgame press conference available here ( WATCH ) – Image Credit: Duke Men’s Basketball The Cooper Flagg Show at MSG From the very beginning of pregame shoot-arounds and warm ups, those watching courtside could tell that Flagg was locked in, banking shots from all over the hardwood. At the same time, ‘The Main Event,’ as many have deemed Flagg due to his superstar capabilities, which has him in current debates for National Player of the Year honors, took time to take in all of what ‘The World’s Most Famous Arena’ has to offer — glancing around, and looking up at the rafters on many occasions. Check out Cooper Flagg’s warm ups at MSG here ( WATCH ) – Image Credit: Duke Men’s Basketball “(Flagg is) going to be the first pick in the (NBA) Draft,” ESPN’s Jay Bilas recently said publicly. “This is his first time in Madison Square Garden, it’s not going to be his last.” Follow us on Social Media for updates and exclusive content Instagram: @latinosportsoficial Facebook: Latino Sports Twitter: @latinosports Related Topics Blue Devils College Hoops Cooper Flagg Duke Duke Blue Devils Duke University Fighting Illini Illinois Illinois Fighting Illini Jay Bilas Jon Scheyer Madison Square Garden MSG NCAA Basketball New York City SentinelOne Classic Sion James University of Illinois Click to comment Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Comment * Name * Email * Website Advertisement Facebook Latest Article Baseball / 2 weeks ago 35TH ANNUAL LATINO MVP AWARDS – 2024 OFFICIAL BALLOT ANNOUNCED BRONX, NY (February 10th, 2025) — It has been thirty five (35) years since… By Press Release Basketball / 5 hours ago Cooper Flagg on MSG debut: ‘My first time playing here, that was an incredible atmosphere’ NEW YORK, NY — It has long been known that stars show up and… By Robert Rizzo Baseball / 5 hours ago First Time Fans Vote For LatinoMVP CABO ROJO, PR — During the recent ‘Puerto Rico Challenge’ Division 1 college baseball… By Julio Pabón Baseball / 12 hours ago Letters from the Beyond: From George Steinbrenner to Hal Steinbrenner – Cartas desde el Más Allá: De George Steinbrenner para Hal Steinbrenner My dear son: And I call you “dear,” because parents must love their children,… By Juan Vené Basketball / 19 hours ago New York, New York: No. 10 St. John’s blows out UConn at Madison Square Garden NEW YORK, NY — Entering Sunday’s Big East showdown with No. 10 St. John’s,… By Robert Rizzo More in Basketball New York, New York: No. 10 St. John’s blows out UConn at Madison Square Garden NEW YORK, NY — Entering Sunday’s Big East showdown with No. 10 St. John’s,… Why Reggaetón Stars Are Investing In Puerto Rican Pro Basketball CABO ROJO, PR — With Puerto Rico getting so much worldwide attention being the… Putting the WIN in Windy City: No. 10 St. John’s rolls past DePaul NEW YORK, NY — In the windy city of Chicago Wednesday night, the No…. Dominican-American Karl-Anthony Towns introduced in style for 2025 NBA All-Star Game NEW YORK, NY — During the NBA’s 2025 All-Star Game introductions on Sunday night… New York, New York: No. 10 St. John’s blows out UConn at Madison Square Garden