NEWARK — WOW! There’s no way you could have walked out of the Prudential Center here in Newark as Thursday night turned to Friday morning and not said that to yourself. Not after you saw Cooper Flagg in person. Not after you saw Alabama rain down 3-pointers at a record rate. Not after the two be st teams in the March Madness field advanced to a mouthwatering regional final. Flagg, the soon-to-be No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, posted a line that read: 30 points, six rebounds, seven assists and three blocks in Duke’s 100-93 victory over Arizona. “That was one of the best tournament performances I’ve ever coached or been a part of,” Blue Devils coach Jon Scheyer said. As is typical with Flagg, it was just in another night’s work. “I think just playing with really good energy, trusting our gameplan, trusting my teammates,” Flagg said. “They put me in some really good spots. Coach, as well, put me in some really good spots. I think just making the right play and just letting the game happen.” There’s a reason six NBA teams, including the 76ers, are actively tanking to try and ‘Capture the Flagg.’ What really stands out about the 6-foot-10, 18-year-old freshman is how he impacts the game all over the floor. He knocked down a trio of treys, he used his strength to score through contact, he cut off the ball, he set up teammates with precision passes and he made free throws. “He just did what he was supposed to do, and he’ll move on and get ready for Alabama,” Scheyer said. “I think that’s the beauty of it with him. He doesn’t get caught up in that. What I’ve wanted from him is not to defer. I’ve just wanted him to fully be him, and I thought he was that. “He was in his element. He was him. He had just a great personality. He was loose, talking, competitive, the whole thing.” Alabama guard Mark Sears (1) reacts during the second half of a Sweet 16 round NCAA college basketball tournament game against Brigham Young, Thursday, March 27, 2025, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Then there was an Alabama avalanche of 3s in the night’s first game — a 113-88 beatdown of BYU. The Crimson Tide broke a 35-year-old NCAA Tournament record by making 25  3s. Guard Mark Sears, a 6-foot-1 lefty who gives off real Jalen Brunson vibes, made 10 of them and finished with 34 points. Alabama’s 3-point barrage broke the previous high of 21 set by Loyola Marymount in a 149-111 win over Michigan on March 18, 1990. Sears came within one of matching Loyola’s Jeff Fryer (11 in that 1990 second-round matchup) for the most in a single tournament game. “I was just in a zone,” said Sears, who had made just five 3s over the previous six games in 35 attempts. “Once I saw the first 3 fell in, I felt the basket was as big as an ocean. And every time I shot I felt like it was going in.” Sears, of course, wasn’t alone in bringing a flamethrower to the Brick City. Aden Holloway knocked in six and Chris Youngblood drilled five. Alabama attempted 77% of its shots from behind the arc (51 of 66). “An open 3 is kind of a lay-up,” Holloway said. Have they saved any for Saturday? “We’ve got to do a good job on the offensive side of the ball, showing them how they can get the 3s,” said Alabama coach Nate Oats, also noting that the number of 3s his team takes often depends on the defensive scheme of the opponent. Duke has better rim protection than BYU with Flagg and the 7-footer Khaman Maluach (4 blocks vs. Arizona). “If they’re going to build out, we’ve had multiple games we’ve got 50, 60 plus points in the paint, too,” Oats said. “If (Duke) decides they’re not going to give us some 3s, that’s fine, too. Let’s get to the rim.” And let’s get it on. It’s Duke vs. Alabama. A place in the Final Four is at stake. WOW! Kyle Franko covers college sports for The Trentonian. He is an AP Top 25 voter. Follow him on X @kj_franko and reach him at kfranko@trentonian.com Duke forward Cooper Flagg (2) and Duke center Khaman Maluach (9) react during the second half of a Sweet 16 round NCAA college basketball tournament game against Arizona, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) ...read more read less