The mania round Cooper Flagg at Duke is right here. And it’s not going anyplace anytime quickly.
Flagg, the Class of 2024’s most-hyped recruit and projected 2025 No. 1 NBA Draft choose, spoke publicly Friday for the primary time since beginning his profession with the Blue Devils.
Sporting a “Dream Largest” Duke T-shirt, the 6-foot-9 freshman ahead sounded assured and enthusiastic about Duke formally starting apply this week. It has been a whirlwind begin to faculty for this system’s greatest recruit since Zion Williamson — whom even former President Barack Obama got here to Durham to see play — however Flagg is dealing with it as finest he can.
goooooo @Cooper_Flagg 😈😈🦾 pic.twitter.com/Ie6lLNpJZK
— Duke Males’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) September 27, 2024
“I believe so far as hype and all that goes, that’s one thing that you just be taught to cope with. And for me, it’s nearly enjoying basketball, so I’m excited to get going with our staff,” Flagg advised reporters in Durham.
“Now we have an unbelievable group of men. I’ve gotten to know all people on the staff very well. So I’m simply actually excited to get going. So far as the hype for me, I simply deal with enjoying basketball and attempting to win day-after-day.”
Flagg, who’s from Newport, Maine, and already has a shoe cope with New Stability, was initially a member of the 2025 recruiting class, however reclassified to 2024 in August of final 12 months. His dad and mom are Blue Devils followers who typically had the basketball staff on the household’s tv at residence whereas Flagg grew up along with his two brothers.
Flagg dedicated to Duke in October. With him on the ground, the Blue Devils needs to be a contender towards anybody.
GO DEEPER
Cooper Flagg and the small New England city that raised basketball’s brightest younger star
“I’ve seen lots of completely different seasons, completely different hype, completely different expectations. With Cooper, I don’t know if we’ve ever had a 17-year-old with as a lot consideration round him — and lots of it rightfully so with the highschool profession he’s had and what he’s finished,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer advised reporters.
“However we speak about all of the issues we are able to management. And that’s been our focus,” Scheyer mentioned. “Cooper does a tremendous job of coming to apply to work day-after-day. I don’t suppose he likes the eye, to be sincere. I believe he’s all about, he desires to be similar to the opposite guys by way of not caring concerning the consideration, desirous to win, desirous to compete.”
Flagg will play in entrance ofBlue Devils followers subsequent week for the primary time on the program’s “Countdown to Craziness” occasion on Oct. 4, forward of Duke opening its season on Oct. 19 with an exhibition towards Lincoln (Pa.) College. Within the meantime, Flagg will proceed to settle in Durham.
Coop brings the 🔒🔒🔒 @Cooper_Flagg pic.twitter.com/JDOx0BrLSd
— Duke Males’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) September 27, 2024
“He’s 17. So, starting of the season, he’s going to undergo some stuff. That’s a part of it,” Scheyer mentioned.
“However being there for him in these moments and rising as a participant is why he got here to Duke. So I need this to be — I need him to take pleasure in this 12 months. I need him to benefit from the practices, take pleasure in being a pupil at Duke, take pleasure in along with his teammates and clearly work like loopy to turn into a greater participant. And that’s what we’re doing each day.”
Required studying
(Photograph: Grant Halverson / Getty Photos)
