Cooper Flagg drops 18 points, throws down massive dunk in Duke debut while leading Blue Devils to win over Maine

The Cooper Flagg era in Durham is off and running.

Flagg and No. 7 Duke cruised to a dominant 96-62 win over Maine on Monday night to officially tip off the 2024-25 men's college basketball season. It marked the first chance for fans to check out the 17-year-old star, who is widely projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in next summer’s NBA Draft and the most highly anticipated college player in recent memory.

Flagg opened his college career in front of plenty of notable Duke alumni and his family, including his twin brother who is still in high school, at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils' season opener was fittingly set against a university located less than an hour from his hometown…