Another No. 1 for Blue Devil head coach Jon Scheyer.
Cooper Flagg, the top-ranked player in the 2024 class, announced his commitment to Duke Monday morning via SLAM, putting to bed months of speculation about the generational prospect's final landing spot.
The Montverde Academy product follows in the footsteps of former teammates Sean Stewart and Dariq Whitehead. The 6-foot-8 power forward, originally in the 2025 class, reclassified in August. Flagg already had the eyes of the entire college basketball world trained on his decision, and the sped-up process only intensified the fanfare.
The five-star recruit and potential first-overall 2025 NBA draft pick has been making headlines since he entered the high school scene. A Newport, Maine, native, Flagg won the Maine Gatorade Boys Basketball Player of the Year title, the first freshman to do so in his state. He and his twin brother, Ace, transferred to Montverde Academy before their sophomore years. Flagg was also named the Gatorade Men's Player of the Year at the 2024 ESPYS July 11.
"It’s an honor to take home this award, and having it handed to me by some of the biggest names in basketball makes it even better," Flagg said. "The list of former Gatorade Best Players of the Year speaks for itself, so it’s special to put my name next to theirs.”
With a strong offensive finish and shot-altering size, Cooper sits atop the 2024 rankings for good reason. He visited both Kansas and UConn before making his decision, even attending the Blue Devils’ football game against the Huskies Sept. 23. The forward joins Isaiah Evans, Darren Harris and Kon Knueppel in Duke’s next incoming class, which now sits at No. 1 in the nation.
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Rachael Kaplan is a Trinity senior and a senior editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.