Cooper Flagg is officially one-and-done.
Duke’s record-setting freshman announced in an Instagram post on April 21 that he has declared for the 2025 NBA Draft after a sensational season with the Blue Devils. The 18-year-old is expected to be the first overall pick in the draft, which will take place June 25-26 in Brooklyn, New York.
“It was an incredible year, probably the best year of my life,” Flagg said in a video posted to social media. “I have so much gratitude. I feel so blessed for all the opportunities that I was given. Duke has always been a dream for me, but I’m excited to announce that I’ll be entering my name into the 2025 NBA Draft. Today’s just the beginning, but I have the brotherhood with me for life.”
During his one season at Duke, Flagg lived up to the hype of being the No. 1 recruit in the nation. He led the Blue Devils to a Final Four appearance, becoming the eighth player in program history to win the John R. Wooden Award and only the fourth freshman ever. He averaged 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, helping the Blue Devils win both the ACC regular-season title and the ACC Tournament. In the NCAA Tournament, Flagg averaged 21 points and 7.6 rebounds per game as the Blue Devils came up just short of a national title game appearance. Even so, he was still named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team.
In January, one month after his 18th birthday, Flagg set the conference’s single-game scoring record when he dropped 42 points against Notre Dame. He was also honored as the AP men’s college basketball player of the year.
