Photo credit: Dick Vitale at a Duke basketball game
Duke Basketball: Dick Vitale Forecasts 'Hoops Hysteria' in Durham
Thursday was just another day at the office for future Duke basketball forward Cooper Flagg. The 6-foot-9, 200-pound five-star, a Maine native sitting atop the 247Sports 2024 Composite, helped Montverde Academy (Fla.) improve to 29-0 this season with an 83-58 win over Veritas Prep (Ariz.) at the Pete Hollis Showcase in Greenville, S.C.
Flagg, a lifelong Blue Devil enthusiast headlining Jon Scheyer's five-deep 2024 recruiting haul, finished his team-high 27 minutes on the floor with 15 points, seven rebounds, four steals, two blocks, and only one turnover while shooting 6-for-10 from the field and 3-for-3 at the charity stripe.
Once again, Flagg's highlights display an NBA-ready talent. So, it's no surprise the projected one-and-done is the early frontrunner to become the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2025.
Evidently, Flagg has caught the attention of longtime ESPN analyst and honorary "Cameron Crazie" Dick Vitale.
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In the following post, the 84-year-old college basketball treasure went as far as referring to the 17-year-old phenom as "better than advertised" and predicted Duke's famed student section will be in "HOOPS HYSTERIA" next season:
Three of Vitale's grandchildren, siblings Connor, Jake, and Ava Krug, will likely be in the stands often to experience the excitement. Twins Connor and Jake are currently juniors on the Blue Devils' tennis team, and Ava is a five-star 2024 prospect committed to the Duke women's tennis program.
Meanwhile, Cooper Flagg is part of the nation's No. 1 class. The collection features three more five-star talents in forward Isaiah Evans, forward Kon Knueppel, and center Patrick Ngongba, plus four-star wing Darren Harris.
Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country on SI.com for more Duke basketball recruiting news.
