Duke freshman Cooper Flagg ‘has to prove’ he’s No. 1 NBA pick.

DURHAM, N.C. — Duke freshman forward Cooper Flagg, projected as the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, said it’s not a foregone conclusion that he will be the first player selected in June.

“Absolutely not,” Flagg told ESPN in a recent interview on Duke’s campus.

“It’s an everyday thing,” said Flagg, who was the top overall recruit in the 2024 recruiting class. “I’m really focused on today with my team. For me, it’s just focusing on my team and this year and what we have to do. It’s not something I’m worried about or thinking about, at this point.”

Duke coach John Scheer echoed Flagg’s sentiments and said the 17-year-old is as good as advertised based on what he’s seen in practice.

“Of course he has to prove it,” Scheer told ESPN. “I’ve seen guys who are projected (No. 1), they go there, and then guys who are projected don’t go because you assume that’s going to happen.

“So I don’t assume anything. I know Cooper doesn’t. At the end of the day he’s going to deserve his stuff based on what he does. I think he’s shown, how he’s talked, that’s right and I know he’s got it. Anxious to build … I believe in Cooper at the end of the day but we have a long way to go before we start thinking about it.”

Flagg, who turns 18 on Dec. 21, impressed NBA scouts and executives as a member of USA Basketball’s select team in Las Vegas in July, where he did more than just beat up against a group of future Basketball Hall of Famers, including LeBron. James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry. The practices were in preparation for making Team USA for the Paris Olympics.

The 2025 NBA draft class is being hailed by scouts as one of the deepest and most talented in years, with many top-shelf prospects waiting to be selected No. 1 with the hypothetical pick at Flagg. Rutgers’ Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper will have significant platforms in the Big Ten to show how their size, versatility and skills translate to college competition, while Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe had a tremendous summer with the Bahamas national team as part of a FIBA ​​qualifying campaign. .