As Duke basketball fans eagerly await the upcoming season, the Blue Zone is here to break down film from the new additions to both the men’s and women’s teams. On the men’s side, we’ve already looked at Kon Knueppel, Patrick Ngongba II, Isaiah Evans and Khaman Maluach. Next up is dynamic young recruit Cooper Flagg:
Cooper Flagg is one of the most anticipated incoming Duke freshmen in a long time. Flagg, the top prospect in the class of 2024, reclassified to join the Blue Devils. The 6-foot-9 forward can play at multiple positions on the floor and is a true force to be reckoned with. He is certainly unproven at the collegiate level, but Flagg does a little bit of everything well.
Despite being only 17 years old, Flagg has already racked up numerous accolades. He won Gatorade Men's Player of the Year at the 2024 ESPY awards and participated on the USA Men’s Basketball Select Team — the first college player chosen since 2013.
Flagg’s high-flying athleticism and intensity jump off the screen. Take a look at this barrage of swats and dunks for Flagg — with some pullup jumpshots in between — and his potential is evident. Flagg has elite blocking abilities and he can be an immediate rim protector for the Blue Devils. The entire highlight reel has more clean rejections and impressive finishes from the Newport, Maine, native.
Yes, Flagg can jump out of the gym and generate highlight-reel dunks, but what makes him special is his ability to get to his spots and shoot over anyone. He has a skillset akin to a professional player, so let’s dive into Flagg’s offensive capabilities.
In the Select Team’s scrimmage against Team USA, Flagg turned heads against the best in the world. Watch as he uses his height to rise above Jrue Holiday, one of the NBA’s most well-respected defenders. Flagg frequently used his body well in high school to back down smaller defenders.
The 2024-25 Duke team scrimmaged in June, and Flagg showcased a full arsenal of capabilities. One of his go-to moves is a hesitation, and he blows by fellow freshman Khaman Maluach in this clip. Flagg sets the move up with a glide dribble, then uses his eyes to deceive the defender before finishing emphatically.
The pick-and-roll is such an integral part of the college game and Duke’s offense, so Flagg’s comfort in this set should be a welcoming sight to Blue Devil fans. Here, he first uses the Maluach screen and takes his time with a floater off the glass.
In another play, he gets his feet set and steps into a long jumper with little space. Because of Flagg’s quick first step and reliable jump shot, he can do real damage in the pick-and-roll.
Flagg’s shot has been a subject of discussion throughout his recruitment. Although his release point is a bit unorthodox, many successful shooters have different release points. Some of the best — Jimmer Fredette comes to mind — release the ball high and towards the right side of their face, like Flagg. What matters is how long the shooter takes to get to the point of release and the release itself.
Flagg’s height coupled with the high release makes his shot extremely difficult to defend, and he can quickly pull up against anybody — including center Patrick Ngongba II in the previous clip. He even connected on a triple against noted shot-blocker Anthony Davis in the Select Team’s scrimmage against Team USA.
His motion is smooth; Flagg has a nice wrist flick and follow-through to cap his shot off. Check out a slow-motion of his shot mechanics.
One adjustment Flagg will have to make is on the defensive end. Flagg’s length and athleticism allowed him to intimidate guards in high school, but that won’t be the case in college. He will need to move his feet and learn to guard on the perimeter, rather than solely relying on his arms and blocking abilities.
Duke has an extremely tall roster, so even at 6-foot-9, Flagg will likely have to guard smaller and quicker guards. Here he is defending rising sophomore Caleb Foster, getting caught cheating on an incoming screen.
There were a couple similar clips in the scrimmage, and Flagg’s lateral quickness will take time to develop.
That said, the Montverde Academy product has shown potential even against the best in the world, and his three-level scoring can make an immediate impact on a talented Blue Devil squad. It will be interesting to see where head coach Jon Scheyer utilizes Flagg, but he can certainly fill up a statsheet and has the attention of NBA scouts across the country.
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Ranjan Jindal is a Trinity junior and sports editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.