Cooper Flagg Tracker: Duke’s freshman phenom shines in exhibition action as Blue Devils gear up for 2024-25

Not since Zion Williamson enrolled at Duke for the 2018-19 season has a freshman captivated college basketball like Cooper Flagg is expected to in the 2024-25 season. Ranked the No. 1 overall prospect in the Class of 2024 by 247Sports, Flagg is set to be a must-see attraction when the Blue Devils open the season against Maine on Nov. 4.

The 6-foot-9 forward doesn’t turn 18 until Dec. 21 but is nonetheless regarded as the likely No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. So advanced is Flagg’s game that he was the lone college player picked for the 2024 USA Basketball Men’s Select Team, which trained against the gold-medal winning men’s national team in the preamble to the 2024 Olympics.

Duke is ranked No. 7 in the AP preseason poll and predicted to win the ACC, largely because of Flagg. He came in No. 3 in CBS Sports’ preseason ranking of college basketball’s Top 100 and 1 players. Fifth-year guards Mark Sears of Alabama and RJ Davis of North Carolina are the only players ahead of him on the list.

Meeting the hype and expectations will be a tall task for a young player. But Flagg is believed to be the rare talent capable of meeting the overused “generational” label. We’ll be tracking his progress here all season long.

Early flash from Flagg in preseason blowout

Flagg had a nice and-one finish in the first minute of Duke’s 103-47 exhibition beatdown of Arizona State. He added a couple of free throws shortly thereafter while accounting for four of his team’s six points. From there, it was mostly a quiet day for Flagg as the Blue Devils steamrolled the Sun Devils. He finished with nine points, four rebounds and three assists on 3 of 9 shooting in 21 minutes. Flagg logged just five minutes in the second half as the Blue Devils played their reserves ample minutes.

“I thought he just impacted the game in a lot of ways,” Scheyer said. “Of course, his numbers aren’t going to wow you or anything. I didn’t put him back in the game, so that’s part of it. He has this ‘it’ factor that you can’t explain, where he just makes everyone around him better. His unselfishness, when your best player is not searching for stats it has such an amazing impact on the rest of your team. That’s what he does. He guards whoever you ask him to. He’s pushing the break, the ball flowed through his hands. I thought he had a good game and, still, he’s got a lot more in him.”

Flagg shines in exhibition debut

Flagg logged an efficient 24 minutes in Duke’s 107-56 exhibition win over Division II Lincoln (PA) on Oct. 19. He led the Blue Devils in points (22), assists (6) and blocks (4). While the competition was lacking relative to what Flagg will see throughout the regular season, it was an encouraging first glimpse at his versatility.

Here’s what head coach Jon Scheyer had to say about Flagg’s defensive performance in the game, via The Devils Den: “He has great instincts, obviously, with how hard he plays. And then, you add in his feel, he’s going to make some special plays. Today, he had four blocks. I think he can even add in some steals, preferably next time going forward. But I thought it was good for him. I thought he was himself. I thought even for ‘Coop,’ he can rebound more. There’s so much there for him. And I thought it was great for him to get a feel today.

Flagg earns No. 3 spot Top 100 and 1 list

CBS Sports published its list of the top 100 and 1 players in college basketball entering the new season. Flagg registered at No. 3 on the list, trailing only Mark Sears of Alabama and RJ Davis of North Carolina. Here’s what senior writer Gary Parrish had to say about Flagg:

“Any time the consensus top-ranked high school player in the country, who also doubles as the projected No. 1 overall pick in the next NBA Draft, enrolls at Duke, the eyes of the sport will focus on Cameron Indoor Stadium, which is exactly what’s happened this preseason. Will Flagg live up to expectations and become the youngest Wooden Award winner in college basketball history while helping Jon Scheyer advance to his first Final Four as a coach? 

“As always, we’ll see. But there’s no doubting that the 6-9 forward from Maine is a generational talent who can and does impact winning in a variety of ways — from scoring to rebounding to passing and guarding. There’s real substance behind the hype. His first high-profile game will be Nov. 12 against Kentucky in the Champions Classic in Atlanta.”

Behind the scenes at Duke

Matt Norlander went behind the scenes with Duke during preseason practice. “Get ready, because Duke is probably going to be The Biggest Deal in College Basketball again, potentially reaching the stratospheric levels of Zion Williamson and company in 2018-19,” Norlander wrote. “Whether the Blue Devils are the best team, top-10 good or an inconsistent curiosity, coach Jon Scheyer knows this season is going to be evaluated and adjudicated more intensely than his first two. 

“The reason for that is obvious. Cooper Flagg.” 

Cooper Flagg named CBS Sports preseason Freshman of the Year

Cooper Flagg was unanimously voted CBS Sports preseason Freshman of the Year and was the only freshman named to the CBS Sports 2024-25 Preseason All-America First Team. Here’s what Cameron Salerno had to say about Flagg’s lofty preseason accolades:

“Flagg has generated the hype of being the top-ranked prospect in his respective recruiting class because of his unique skill set that will translate to the college level and make him one of the most dominant players at just 17 years old. Flagg will be surrounded by a veteran Duke squad with national championship expectations in Year 3 of the Jon Scheyer era. No pressure, kid.”