NCAA Shooting Guard and Small Forward Cooper Flagg is reportedly considering a return to Duke University. Flagg, 18, is one of the biggest names in the college basketball world. Thanks to his scoring ability, high basketball IQ, and defensive instincts, he is the complete package that few players his age could match. He is also the biggest US-born college basketball prospect in over a decade due to his game and values. Read on for further details.
Cooper Flagg’s Statement
Cooper Flagg has taken college basketball by storm this season. Flagg’s most recent statement attracted attention from the NCAA world. In a recent interview with The Athletic, Flagg said, “Sh—, I want to come back next year,” before responding with, “I still feel like a kid,” when asked if he feels more like a college basketball player or a professional athlete.
Flagg continued with his long-winded response by clarifying, “This is the only way I’ve ever known college. That’s how I see it. I really wouldn’t know how kids felt before, and if this feels different if this feels more like being a professional. I mean, it’s the same thing for kids in high school, too, getting paid a lot of money. I don’t know. I feel pretty normal.”
Flagg’s recent statement signaled he’ll likely return to Duke University next season as a sophomore. Flagg made NCAA history this past October by becoming the first men’s college basketball player to sign a NIL deal with Gatorade and continuing to amplify his brand throughout the season. According to On3 Sports, Flagg’s current NIL valuation is $4.3 million — trailing just Texas Quarterback Arch Manning.
Flagg’s Stats
Flagg is a true freshman guard on the fast track to win the 2024-25 Wooden Award. Flagg leads the Duke Blue Devils men’s basketball team with 19.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks. He has also been shooting 48.3% from the field and 37.0% from downtown.
As of Saturday afternoon, Flagg’s Duke Blue Devils have a 21-3 record and lead the ACC. Flagg is the consensus favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. It’s perfectly understandable if he wants to declare for the NBA Draft but mentioned in his recent interview that he always wanted to play in college at the highest level and compete for a national championship. That is the sort of thing he dreamed about.
Final Thoughts
Cooper Flagg proclaimed that he always wanted to play college basketball at the highest level and compete for a national championship. If Flagg sticks to his self-proclamation and returns to Duke University, he’ll likely get to do so as a sophomore guard. According to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, Duke is currently projected to be one of four No. 1 seeds in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
In the meantime, No. 3 Duke (21-3) will host the unranked Stanford Cardinal (16-9) inside the Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. Eastern. Duke will look for its second straight win, while Stanford will look to avoid a two-game losing skid. Duke holds a one-game lead over Clemson and Louisville for first place in the ACC.
