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Duke basketball’s Cooper Flagg will enter the 2025 NBA Draft, the Blue Devils announced April 21.
Flagg, the fourth freshman to win the Wooden Player of the Year award, is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick on June 25 in Brooklyn. Two of the previous two players to win the award – Duke’s Zion Williamson (2019) and Kentucky’s Anthony Davis (2012) – went on to become the top selection after one-and-done seasons in college.
If Flagg is the first player to be called by NBA commissioner Adam Silver, the 18-year-old Maine native would be the sixth Blue Devil to be the first pick in the draft. That list includes Williamson (2019), Paolo Banchero (2022), Kyrie Irving (2011), Elton Brand (1999) and Art Heyman (1963).
TEAM PLAYER: Why Neal Begovich, Cooper Flagg are epitome of Duke basketball's unselfishness
40-PIECE: How Cooper Flagg's dad helped Duke basketball freshman set ACC record for Blue Devils
Shortly after the announcement, the Blue Devils released a video of Duke coach Jon Scheyer discussing Flagg.
"As good of a freshman season as a guy's had here," Scheyer said.
"But, to me, the separator and the joy of coaching Cooper is the person he was every day. ... Cooper did an incredible job in every facet of our program, on and off the court with what he's done."
Fellow freshman Kon Knueppel was the first of Duke's freshmen to announce his plans to enter the draft, followed by junior guard Tyrese Proctor. Here’s a look at Flagg’s stats with the Blue Devils and possible landing spots in the 2025 NBA Draft.
The metrics love Flagg, who was the top overall player in college basketball according to KenPom and EvanMiya. As a 6-foot-9, 205-pound playmaker, Flagg led Duke in points (682), rebounds (271), assists (151) and steals (50). He averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists per game and made 48.1% of his shots.
When breaking down his best performances from his freshman season, the Notre Dame and Arizona games are at the top of the list. Flagg became the youngest player in NCAA history to reach 40 points when he dropped an ACC freshman record 42 points in a home win against the Fighting Irish. He made March Madness history against the Wildcats in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, becoming the first player to log at least 30 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks in a game.
An elite offensive and defensive player, Flagg has the look of a sure-thing star once he gets to the league. As for evaluations of Flagg, his profile is being compared to several players ahead of the draft. Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Garnett, Andrei Kirilenko, Jayson Tatum, Scottie Pippen, Lamar Odom and Scottie Barnes are on that list of players with similar profiles to Flagg. Nit-picking Flagg’s game, there’s room to gain strength as he continues to build out his frame. But he has all of the pieces to be an elite player and his adaptability is arguably his best trait. Still, the franchise that lands the Duke star will have a foundation piece in place.
The NBA Draft Lottery is May 12. That’s when we’ll find out where Flagg is most likely to land on draft night. The Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets each have the best odds (14%) to land the No. 1 pick. New Orleans is right behind that trio with a 12.5% chance of getting the top selection. The team that wins the lottery will almost certainly select Flagg.
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Duke's Cooper Flagg enters NBA Draft as likely No. 1 pick
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Flagg, the fourth freshman to win the Wooden Player of the Year award, is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick on June 25 in Brooklyn. Two of the previous two players to win the award – Duke’s Zion Williamson (2019) and Kentucky’s Anthony Davis (2012) – went on to become the top selection after one-and-done seasons in college.
If Flagg is the first player to be called by NBA commissioner Adam Silver, the 18-year-old Maine native would be the sixth Blue Devil to be the first pick in the draft. That list includes Williamson (2019), Paolo Banchero (2022), Kyrie Irving (2011), Elton Brand (1999) and Art Heyman (1963).
TEAM PLAYER: Why Neal Begovich, Cooper Flagg are epitome of Duke basketball's unselfishness
40-PIECE: How Cooper Flagg's dad helped Duke basketball freshman set ACC record for Blue Devils
Shortly after the announcement, the Blue Devils released a video of Duke coach Jon Scheyer discussing Flagg.
"As good of a freshman season as a guy's had here," Scheyer said.
"But, to me, the separator and the joy of coaching Cooper is the person he was every day. ... Cooper did an incredible job in every facet of our program, on and off the court with what he's done."
Fellow freshman Kon Knueppel was the first of Duke's freshmen to announce his plans to enter the draft, followed by junior guard Tyrese Proctor. Here’s a look at Flagg’s stats with the Blue Devils and possible landing spots in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Cooper Flagg stats
The metrics love Flagg, who was the top overall player in college basketball according to KenPom and EvanMiya. As a 6-foot-9, 205-pound playmaker, Flagg led Duke in points (682), rebounds (271), assists (151) and steals (50). He averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists per game and made 48.1% of his shots.
When breaking down his best performances from his freshman season, the Notre Dame and Arizona games are at the top of the list. Flagg became the youngest player in NCAA history to reach 40 points when he dropped an ACC freshman record 42 points in a home win against the Fighting Irish. He made March Madness history against the Wildcats in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, becoming the first player to log at least 30 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks in a game.
Cooper Flagg NBA Draft profile, projections
An elite offensive and defensive player, Flagg has the look of a sure-thing star once he gets to the league. As for evaluations of Flagg, his profile is being compared to several players ahead of the draft. Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Garnett, Andrei Kirilenko, Jayson Tatum, Scottie Pippen, Lamar Odom and Scottie Barnes are on that list of players with similar profiles to Flagg. Nit-picking Flagg’s game, there’s room to gain strength as he continues to build out his frame. But he has all of the pieces to be an elite player and his adaptability is arguably his best trait. Still, the franchise that lands the Duke star will have a foundation piece in place.
The NBA Draft Lottery is May 12. That’s when we’ll find out where Flagg is most likely to land on draft night. The Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets each have the best odds (14%) to land the No. 1 pick. New Orleans is right behind that trio with a 12.5% chance of getting the top selection. The team that wins the lottery will almost certainly select Flagg.
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Duke's Cooper Flagg enters NBA Draft as likely No. 1 pick
Continue reading...
