Cooper Flagg commits to Duke as the Blue Devils’ next superstar freshman

Duke men’s basketball has landed its next superstar on the recruiting trail. Cooper Flagg, the consensus No. 1 overall player in the class of 2024, has committed to Duke for the 2024-2025 season. Flagg picked the Blue Devils over UConn.

It’s safe to say Flagg will only be at Duke for one season. He’s the presumptive No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. SB Nation recently ranked him at the top of our list on the best NBA prospects in high school basketball today.

A 6’9 forward from Maine, Flagg profiles as one of the best defensive prospects to hit the elite basketball pipeline in recent memory. He’s a fearsome shot blocker at the rim, a switchable defender out on the perimeter, and shows the type of high-IQ necessary to quarterback a defense. Flagg’s biggest area of growth over the last year has been his on-ball creation. He can get downhill as a driver, where he shows soft touch around the basket and the ability to get to the foul line. He’s a solid shooter from both three-point range, and mid-range. How good of a shooter he eventually becomes will help determine his offensive ceiling.

Flagg is the first true superstar commitment for Duke in the post-Coach K era. Head coach Jon Scheyer brought in the No. 2 overall recruiting class in 2023 featuring commitments from Jared McCain, T.J. Power, Sean Stewart, and Caleb Foster. Flagg is a cut above, and will immediately be the biggest name in college hoops when he walks onto the floor a year from now. Flagg joins the pantheon of the greatest Duke recruits ever, alongside recent stars Jayson Tatum, Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Jabari Parker, Paolo Banchero, Jahlil Okafor, and others.

Flagg makes his commitment just before he starts his senior season at Florida prep powerhouse Montverde Academy. He was supposed to have two more years of high school left, but he reclassified to a senior during the summer.

Duke is going to be excellent this season even before Flagg enrolls. The Blue Devils start the year at No. 2 in the AP Poll.