Alexander Brown
Cooper FlaggJohn’s high school career spanned two states on opposite ends of the East Coast and was simply spectacular.
However, as of today, that means nothing as the biggest year of Flagg’s basketball life is quickly approaching.
To say that the No. 1 player in the 2024 national recruiting class “still has a lot to prove” would be a ridiculous statement under normal circumstances. But, Cooper Flagg it is not normal.
The 6-foot-3, 195-pound forward has been considered a generational talent since the beginning of his high school career. It is dominated in Maine, Florida and everywhere in between. He is considered a once-in-a-lifetime athlete.
Do not believe me? Well, just take a look at Duke’s current roster makeover.
The Blue Blood Blue Devils are no strangers to big commitments and No. 1 recruiting classes. In recent memory alone, we can rattle off several highly touted high school players, like the one who dominated at Duke before becoming NBA lottery picks: Jayson Tatum, Zion Williamson, Paolo Banchero, Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett, Marvin Bagley Jr., Jabari Parker. The list goes on.
None created the commotion that Flagg did.
Flagg’s commitment to Duke swept through Cameron Indoor Stadium like a Carolina coastal wind, paving the way for his arrival. Many members of the “Brotherhood” have been forced to face the situation – a seemingly unstoppable force is bearing down on Duke and needs room to land. Seven players from Duke’s 2024 Elite Eight team, including promising forwards Mark Mitchell and Sean Stewart, have entered the transfer portal. While the superficial reasons may have varied, the root cause of his departure is Flagg. A player of his magnitude needs a team built around him and everyone on the squad needs to buy into that concept.
In return, new portal finds Purdue shooter Mason Gillis Can space the floor for Flagg. Syracuse’s Maliq Brown is expected to take a shot in the arm for Duke as a gritty, two-way player who can form a wall of offense on defense with Flagg. Rising sophomore Caleb Foster will be thrust into the spotlight as one of Duke’s few returning pieces along with Tyrese Proctor, who decided to forego the NBA Draft and find out what’s happening in Durham.
As Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils staff assemble a lineup that complements Flagg, the stakes get higher. His year in Durham will be a proving campaign. Duke has built a winning team now. Flagg has all the chips. It’s all on his shoulders.
He knows it and everyone connected to the program knows it.
Jared McCain, former Duke freshman and current NBA prospect, acknowledged the elephant in the room while speaking with 247Sports’ Isaac Trotter at the NBA Combine.
“People who transfer to college have already proven themselves at the college level,” McCain said when discussing the college NIL landscape. He then heaped a lot of praise (or pressure) on Flagg.
“Shout out to my guy, Cooper Flagg – I think he’s going to be the best player in college.”
McCain is just saying what everyone thinks. In fact, by recognizing the shadows, he could have taken some of the weight off Flagg’s shoulders.
Now, no one is worrying that there’s a target on Flagg’s back. Even if he isn’t the best player in college basketball next season, he will be judged as if he were. Flag is supposed to be the most electric presence in college basketball since Zion was jumping out of his seat. He is currently penciled in as the No. 1 or No. 2 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft class and he alsoready to be hailed as a savior of NBA draftniksaloe for the severe sunburn that is the recruiting class of 2024. The people suffering from sloppy scrimmage after sloppy scrimmage at the NBA Combine this week at least have Flagg to look forward to.
“Flagg is an elite player who is the best defender in the class,” says Travis Branham of 247Sports, who has Flagg in a battle with Rutgers guard Ace Bailey for a No. 1 pick in 2025. “He is also a versatile offensive weapon who can be used in a variety of roles. Flagg wins wherever he goes and is willing to do whatever it takes to contribute to a winning team. … If Flagg gets it right, then a franchise will have a cornerstone player who will be an NBA All-Star for years to come.
If he isn’t already, Flagg will soon be a multimillionaire. It’s not a bad life. But there is also a lot of pressure.
Flagg could take Duke and its stodgy history back to the top of the mountain to give the Blue Devils their first championship of the Scheyer era, swinging the college basketball pendulum from super seniors to diaper-wearing dandies. Or he could not meet expectations – as many top recruits have done this recently – and further prove that there is a big difference between a great college player and a generational professional prospect (don’t take the strays personally, Messrs. Edey, Timme and Tshiebwe).
Scheyer and Duke need Flagg to be as good as we all think he is. For the sake of basketball, it would be a lot more fun that way.
