As basketball season approaches, the Blue Zone provides a detailed preview of each player on Duke men's basketball's 2024-25 roster. We’ve already looked at Cameron Sheffield, Patrick Ngongba II, Darren Harris, Isaiah Evans, Mason Gillis, Maliq Brown, Sion James, Caleb Foster, Khaman Maluach, Tyrese Proctor and Kon Knueppel. Last, but certainly not least, is freshman forward Cooper Flagg:
Year: Freshman
Height: 6-foot-9
Position: Forward
Last year’s stat line: N/A
Game breakdown: As the top recruit in the class of 2024 and the highest ranked high school player Duke has ever landed, Flagg enters his freshman season with sky-high expectations. The reigning Gatorade National Player of the Year and McDonald’s All-American averaged 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.7 blocks in his senior year at Montverde Academy, leading his team to a perfect 33-0 record and a national championship title. Flagg has already turned the heads of pro basketball executives, having been the only collegiate player to be a part of the 2024 USA Basketball Men's Select Team which trained with the USA Basketball Men's National Team as they prepared for the Paris Olympic Games. He was recently named to both the preseason AP All-American first team and the all-ACC first team.
Flagg, who doesn’t turn 18 until December, is wise beyond his years on the court. He already demonstrates a rare level of IQ and processing speed, which allows him to be a quick decision maker and an excellent passer out of the post. The Newport, Maine, native boasts impressive fluidity for his size, and can create shots for himself both around the rim and from beyond the arc. Standing at 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-plus wingspan, Flagg also has the ideal length and range to be a force defensively. Paired with his off-the-charts bounce and natural shot-blocking instincts, Flagg has the ability to take over any game purely on defense. All in all, the freshman is a preseason All-American selection for a reason, and has all the tools to back up the hype that will undoubtedly follow him all year long.
Role on the team: Flagg should be the cornerstone of an uber-talented Blue Devil team that has strong depth at all five positions. This positional flexibility, alongside Flagg’s immense versatility as a frontcourt player, will allow head coach Jon Scheyer to plug his superstar freshman into a multitude of different lineups depending on the matchup. Scheyer could play Flagg alongside transfer forward Maliq Brown and 7-foot-2 freshman center Khaman Maluach to give Duke’s defense absurd length and dominant rim protection, but also has the luxury of moving Flagg up to the four and surrounding him with three elite three-point shooters.
The question that arises is whether or not Flagg can immediately be an explosive scorer on a roster with plenty of natural bucket-getters. However, the blue-chip prospect eased a lot of those concerns in the Blue Devils’ blowout preseason victory against Lincoln, scoring 22 points on 50% shooting. Flagg also posted an encouraging 24.5% usage rate, pointing to a concerted effort from the coaching staff to make the 17-year-old the focal point of the offense.
"I have total belief when we step on the floor that we feel we have the best player on the court right away," Scheyer told ESPN Sept. 28.
NBA Comparison: When I think of NBA players to compare Flagg to, it’s hard not to mention 15-time All-Star Kevin Garnett. Although Flagg is a few inches shorter than the Celtics and Timberwolves legend, he possesses a similar contagious energy on the defensive end. Both players bring a tremendous level of versatility to the table, can rebound the ball in big moments and have the footwork to slide up or down given the situation. However, just like the fiery Garnett, Flagg projects to most notably affect games with his intensity, competitiveness and undeniable will to win. At this point in his development, Flagg is tracking to be a more capable shooter and lead ball handler than Garnett, which, when combined with all the intangibles mentioned previously, will be a nightmare for opposing coaches to gameplan around.
Duke has failed to win a national championship since 2015, but if Flagg can harness his potential, he has a chance to fill the ever-important role Garnett did on the 2007-08 Celtics: become the ultimate spark plug, flip the script and lead a storied team back to national glory.
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