Despite $375 Million Cost, Jon Scheyer & Bill Self Face Bizarre Crisis During Duke vs Kansas Game

We’ve seen it all on the basketball court—referee calls that spark chaos, injuries that leave us holding our breath, and even cold wars between rivals. But during the recent Duke vs. Kansas game, something totally unexpected threw a curveball at everyone: there are no scoreboards. As bizarre as it sounds, think how hard it would be for coaches Jon Scheyer and Bill Self. 

Seth Davis, co-founder of Hoops HQ, took to X to report on the strange situation. He tweeted that during a tense part of the game after Tyrese Proctor’s three-pointer cut Kansas’ lead to just two, Duke star Cooper Flagg had only two points. But the real shock? “And apparently there are no scoreboards in the arena, so the coaches and players don’t know what score it is. That’s a new one!” he wrote.

It is an absolute disaster, especially for coaches in a game that had so much riding on it. Duke, ranked 11th, is facing the top-ranked Kansas Jayhawks in the Vegas Showdown, a high-stakes matchup at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, which, by the way, costs a whopping $375 million to build. Despite all the chaos, Kansas held a lead in the game. 

Bill Self and Co. jumped out early, taking a 13-3 lead in the first four minutes, as Duke seemed rattled and couldn’t get its offense going. Kansas, with its veteran squad, was content to let Duke take jump shots, defending the paint and building a 14-4 advantage in points scored inside. But the Blue Devils soon bounced back, thanks to a quick 10-0 run led by Maliq Brown. Tyrese Proctor even hit a buzzer-beating three. But by the end of the first half, Kansas was still leading. 

Their freshman star, Cooper Flagg, had a quiet first half today with only two points, three assists, and two turnovers. But for an intriguing fact, the team he’s faced—Kansas—actually tried to recruit him.

Bill Self reveals Kansas tried to recruit Duke’s Cooper Flagg

Bill Self, the head coach of Kansas, had his eyes on the 5-star freshman and even made it to the final three in the recruitment process. “We did recruit him, I guess made it to the final three,” he said. The forward has been incredible so far this season, leading Duke in points (17.8), rebounds (8.8), assists (3.8), steals (1.8), and blocks (1.8) per game.

In their most recent win against Arizona, he posted 24 points, six rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal. Bill Self himself has sung Flagg’s praises, calling him one of the most talented young players he’s ever seen. Self mentioned, “He has talent, athleticism, skill. But there’s another element to him that’s what makes him different, is that he is so competitive and tough.”

The Kansa coach even said Flagg is the kind of player who could make a big impact on college basketball in a very short amount of time. It’ll be fascinating to see how the freshman handles the challenge. As the season progresses, it wouldn’t be surprising if both teams win their respective conference titles this season. But amidst all this chasing, winning, and losing, Cooper Flagg will surely remain a name to watch.