With all eyes on him, Cooper wants to find a home at Flagg Duke

DURHAM, N.C. — Duke freshman Cooper Flagg may be the most popular player to hit the court at Cameron Indoor Stadium since Zion Williamson, but the impression he’s made on the Blue Devils through his first few weeks on campus, coach John Scheer said, is that he’s just saying One.

Flagg, the nation’s No. 1 overall recruit, was lauded as a high school player for iconic moments in All-Star games and YouTube highlights, but as the Blue Devils prepare to open the 2024-25 season on Oct. 19, Scheer said Flagg should avoid the hype and embrace the competition. Tried his best.

“I’ve seen a lot of different seasons, different hype, different expectations,” Scheier said. “And with Cooper, I don’t know if our 17-year-old has had as much hype and attention. We talk about all the things we can control and that’s what we focus on. Cooper, I don’t think he’s Loves all the attention, he just wants to be like the other guys — to win, to compete, and he’s done a great job of all that.”

Flagg said at Duke’s team media day on Friday that he took selfies with fans and enjoyed the experience of being on campus, especially since classes have started and he has more time to interact with students outside of the basketball team.

“There are always eyes everywhere. When I first came here, some of the students went crazy,” Flagg said. “But it’s a compliment that shows all the hard work you’ve put in and people want to see you and support you.”

The Blue Devils have six true freshmen on this year’s roster, including Flagg, all of whom are ranked among the top 40 prospects in the country. One of those freshmen, center Patrick Ngongba, will miss the start of the season with a foot injury, the school said Friday. There is no timeline for Ngongba’s return.

“He hurt his foot in his high school career, and we’re still getting him back to 100 percent,” Scheer said Friday of Ngongba, who was wearing a walking boot. “It’s not about anything he’s done. It’s about getting him to his full 100 percent productivity on the court, where he can be completely pain-free and get back to the level of player he can be. He’s going to be a great player for us. “

Flagg was originally a member of Duke’s 2025 recruiting class, but he reclassified to join the team for this season. He brought impressive high school accolades including being named Gatorade National Player of the Year, Naismith Player of the Year and a McDonald’s All American as a senior. He was USA Basketball’s Male Athlete of the Year in 2022, the youngest to win the award, and this offseason, he trained with the USA Basketball Men’s National Team as it prepared for the Paris Olympics.

To convince them, Scheer said, is a relentless competition, which distinguished Flag in its early days at Duke.

“His competitiveness is all the time, he doesn’t turn on or off how hard he works,” Scheer said. “It’s different. Every day he’s been here, he’s competed as hard as he has.”

Still, Scheer said he learned from coaching Williamson and other hyped Duke freshmen that the road to the NBA won’t be without its bumps, and that’s what he’s worked on to prepare Flagg as the season approaches.

“He’s 17 years old. He’s going to go through some things,” Scheier said. “That’s part of it. But growing as a player is why he came to Duke. I want him to enjoy this year.”

Flagg said he leaned on some of Duke’s veterans as he got his feet wet in Durham.

“Every day is not going to be perfect,” Flagg said. “Every day you’re not going to have a good day. I’m going to have a bad day. My teammates have been through that, so leaning on them, asking for strategies, it helped me get into a rhythm.”

“There are always eyes everywhere. When I first came here, some of the students went crazy. But it’s a compliment that shows all the hard work you’ve put in, and people want to see you and support you.”

Cooper flag

Those teammates also came away impressed.

Purdue transfer Mason Gillis said he was familiar with Flagg’s publicity and was initially wary, but he was surprised by how down-to-earth Flagg was once they got to know each other.

Syracuse transfer Malik Brown said Flagg’s maturity is better than his age.

“His mindset and mentality is not that of a 17-year-old,” Brown said. “The things that have been thrown at him, seeing his face on social media and everywhere he goes, it’s unbelievable. What he says, how he is on the court, you wouldn’t expect it from a 17-year-old. He definitely lives up to the hype. .”