One fine day, NBA star Brian Scalabrine picked up the phone and rang Duke head coach Jon Scheyer. His message was that there was a 14-year-old kid from Maine who, in his words, was a “no-brainer” for Duke. Now, when you hear Maine, you’re probably thinking lobsters, not lottery picks. Scheyer thought the same. Still, curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to see this Cooper Flagg kid for himself.
And it took Scheyer all of 90 seconds to realize Skal was right. Flagg was that guy. Thankfully, Flagg’s mom had already set the tone by being a lifelong Duke fan, and that Blue Devil love clearly rubbed off on her son. What followed Flagg’s 2023 commitment was a 2024-25 freshman season for the books.
Flagg’s fab five: The top 5 moments of his unforgettable freshman season
Flagg did more than just live up to the hype. He flipped the narrative on freshman-led teams. Instead of crumbling under pressure, he dragged Duke all the way to the Final Four. And while the whole season was a highlight reel, here are five moments that made everyone lose their minds
5. Hello, UNC! Meet Cooper Flagg
You wanna talk about pressure? Try walking into the blue blood-feud that is the Duke-UNC rivalry on February 1st—your first go-around, by the way—and walking out the star of the show. Flagg played all but the final 47 seconds of the second half and went off. He either scored or assisted on Duke’s first six buckets. By the end, he dropped 21 points, 8 rebounds, 7 dimes, 3 steals and 2 blocks. A full-course meal. Scheyer called him a basketball “savant” and honestly, not one person in Cameron Indoor disagreed.
BLUE DEVILS
Cooper Flagg and Duke with a DOMINANT win in the rivalry game against North Carolina pic.twitter.com/2oHcWDzF3U
— ESPN (@espn) February 2, 2025
Flagg himself said it might’ve been his best college game. And the cherry on top is Duke swept the rivalry 3-0 this season, with Flagg scoring 15 in the second W and missing the third due to injury.
4. The Arizona masterclass
You know how some players save their best for March? Flagg lived for it. Against Arizona in the Sweet 16, he played like a monster. 30 points. 9-of-19 shooting. Seven assists. Six rebounds. Three blocks. One steal. And a ticket to the Elite Eight.
No one—and we mean no one—in NCAA tourney history has ever posted that exact stat line. In doing so, he became the first player since Dwyane Wade in the 2003 Elite Eight to record 25 points, five rebounds, five assists and three or more blocks in an NCAA Tournament game.
Flagg became the first freshman to ever record 25 points, five assists, and three blocks in an NCAA Tournament game. Oh, and he joined Zion Williamsonand Jared McCain as the only Duke freshmen to score 30 in a tourney game. That’s some royal company. “One of the best tournament performances I’ve ever coached or been a part of,” coach Scheyer said postgame. Can’t blame him.
3. Final four farewell
This one stings. Duke was so close. They had Houston on the ropes, down just one with 17.2 seconds left. And when it came time for a hero moment, everyone in the arena knew who’d take the shot. Flagg got the ball, pulled up… and it hit front iron.
That was it. Houston 70, Duke 67. But while that moment will stick with him, it can’t be denied that the young star balled out. 27 points, most made shots on either team, and he led Duke in every major stat. The last player to do that in a Final Four game since defensive stats became official? None. Despite the loss, he was named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team, one of only five players in the 21st century to make the cut without reaching the title game. Even in heartbreak, Flagg stood tall.
2. The 42-Point heater
Jan. 11. Notre Dame. If you weren’t on the Cooper Flagg hype train yet, this game shoved you aboard. He dropped 42 points on 11-of-14 shooting (that’s 78.6%), 4-of-6 from deep, and a near-perfect 16-of-17 from the free throw line.
This wasn’t just a breakout, this was a takeover. The projected NBA draft no. 1 pick also dished seven assists and grabbed six rebounds. The 42 points set a new record for a Duke and ACC freshman and came just one point shy of the school’s all-time scoring record, set way back in 1964. Only Zion had previously hit 35 as a Duke freshman. And the last Blue Devil to hit 40+ in a game was JJ Redick in 2006. That’s how special this night was.
1. All the Hardware, The National Player of the Year
All these moments led up to the ultimate prize. The 18-year-old swept almost every major National Player of the Year award:
The Oscar Robertson Trophy
The NABC Player of the Year
The AP Player of the Year
The Wooden Award
The Naismith Trophy
Yes, all of them. And oh, he also snagged:
NABC Freshman of the Year
Wayman Tisdale Award for National Freshman of the Year
First Team All-American honors from every major outlet
Dec 4, 2024; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) reacts after scoring during the second half against the Auburn Tigers at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils won 84-78. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images
Flagg became the first consensus All-American from Duke in six years and only the fourth freshman ever to win National Player of the Year. The others were Zion, Anthony Davis, and Kevin Durant. He averaged 19.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks over 37 games.
All that while playing just 30.6 minutes per game—the fewest for a POY winner since Williamson. While he couldn’t achieve the natty, now, Cooper Flagg will likely head for the big league. He’s already being the projected No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. And if this freshman year was just the beginning, then he is just getting started. At the end of the day, one thing’s for sure….Scal was absolutely right.
The post Top 5 Moments from Cooper Flagg’s NCAA Freshman Season at Duke appeared first on EssentiallySports.
