Flagg planted! Duke basketball superstar is rare freshman named AP player of the year
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Within an hour of Duke’s 2024 NCAA Tournament loss to N.C. State, leaving the Blue Devils frustratingly short of the Final Four, attention immediately turned to what’s next.
Cooper Flagg’s name became a trending topic online shortly after the Wolfpack’s miracle run to the Final Four ended Duke’s season and had fans dreaming of better days.
Flagg began his Duke career shouldering the heavy weight of those expectations — and he has delivered in the biggest ways. He’s led the Blue Devils to the Final Four and, Friday, the Associated Press named Flagg its national player of the year.
The 6-9 forward is just the fourth freshman to win the AP’s top individual award, joining Kevin Durant (2007), Anthony Davis (2012) and Duke’s own Zion Williamson (2019). Flagg, having just turned 18 in December, is the youngest player to win the award, which began in 1961.
Even though he was just 17 years old, Flagg arrived at Duke last summer already projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. This season he’s leading Duke in points (18.9), rebounding (7.5), assists (4.2) and steals (1.4) per game.
“I do think I’m just so proud of this guy,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said, “what he’s done. I have to remind myself it’s a year early. He should be graduating high school now. To have the season that he’s had, I think the stats speak for itself. I think how hard he plays, the highlights, all those things speaks for itself.
“But it’s the person he is every day. His energy is contagious for our team. He’s an amazing leader. The job he’s done in the classroom at Duke. Just everything he does has taken our program to a new height this year.”
For a kid who grew up a Boston Celtics fan, watching videos of that team’s run to the 1986 NBA with Larry Bird, Flagg hears how his all-around game compares to another 6-9 forward with versatile skills.
“Obviously, it’s really cool to hear people say that,” Flagg said. “He’s a legend, so it gives me a lot of confidence, and it’s just a big compliment. The comparisons? I don’t really have too much to say on how I compare to him or not. I don’t really compare myself to anybody. I just try and be my own player.”
Flagg “being his own player” has helped Duke make the program’s 18th Final Four appearance, as well as win ACC regular-season and tournament championships. Now, Flagg is racking up his own awards. The AP player of the year award marks the third organization to name him the country’s top player, joining the U.S. Basketball Writers Association and the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
During Duke’s NCAA Tournament run last weekend in Newark, New Jersey, Flagg was asked about how his game has developed so well while leading the Blue Devils to a super season. True to form, he had trouble separating himself from his team.
“I’m not really sure,” Flagg said. “I haven’t really, I guess, taken much time to look back and look at the year we’ve had. Something I’m most proud of is our team as a whole coming together and being so connected, going into so many battles together and just coming out with a lot of wins.”
Flagg is Duke’s eighth AP player of the year award winner. He joins Art Heyman (1963), Christian Laettner (1992), Elton Brand (1999), Shane Battier (2001), Jason Williams (2002), JJ Redick (2006) and Williamson.
The prize Flagg seeks this weekend is to join Laettner and Battier on the short list of Duke players who won the award the same season they led Duke to an NCAA championship.
This story was originally published April 4, 2025 at 1:04 PM.
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