Cooper Flagg Caps All-Time College Season with Duke

The projected No. 1 pick’s college career came to an end versus Houston Saturday night.

Apr 5, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) walks off the court after losing to the Houston Cougars in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

With one of the more memorable NCAA Tournament comebacks of all time by Houston, Duke freshman Cooper Flagg’s college career effectively came to an end.

With seconds remaining in the game and Duke down one to the Cougars on Saturday night, the ball naturally found its way to Flagg, who couldn’t sink the fadeaway jumper. From there, the game turned to a free throw contest that landed in Houston’s favor.

While his season ended just two wins shy of where he likely wanted to be, Flagg still put together one of the better one-and-done efforts we’ve seen in recent and even distant memory. 

He helped Duke to a 35-4 record in total, averaging an elite 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, shooting 48% overall, 37% from three and 83% from the line.

His on-paper stats are ludicrous, at worst, and paired with his bulky 6-foot-9 and visible feel for the game, begin to form the picture of why he’s one of the highest touted NBA Draft prospects in years. And why he was able to help Duke cruise to its best season in years.

Per an earlier scouting report from NBA Draft on SI regarding Flagg: "With an absurd ceiling as a prospect, but also a very high floor and immediately impactful baseline, the Duke forward is the perfect player to headline a draft class. His sheer height and sturdy frame will allow his game to translate very well. He’s also a phenomenal athlete with a great natural feel for the game and high processing speed."

He, very minorly, helped Duke to the ACC Tournament, a Final Four appearance — no small feat, despite the freshness of defeat — as well as earned hardware in the process. On Friday it was announced that he would be the youngest AP Player of the Year in college history, and on Saturday he won the John R. Wooden Award.

All in all, Flagg, who came into the season at just 17, more than lived up to the hype. And will now wait to hear his name called first at the 2025 NBA Draft.