Cooper Flagg only missed a national championship during his short, yet strong tenure with the Duke Blue Devils. The now Dallas Mavericks forward became a huge star under Jon Scheyer, leading the team to a Final Four participation in the 2025 NCAA tournament.
Flagg carried high expectations coming into his freshman season, which he exceeded by making his team a serious candidate to win the national championship in April.
Scheyer lauded the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft for how he handled all the pressure that came with being the face of one of the most iconic programs in college basketball.
Jon Scheyer raves about Cooper Flagg’s mental strength
“I thought that group did an amazing job, and Cooper was the prime example of keeping the main thing the main thing,” Jon Scheyer told CBS Sports, “… And I thought Cooper did an amazing job of just being present, being the best player he could be in the moment. Same thing with every single one of the guys we had on last year’s team, and I think that’s hard to do. I think it’s easier said than done, because there’s internal pressure they feel.”
Head coach Jon Scheyer and Cooper Flagg.
Cooper Flagg was must-see TV during his freshman season at Duke. The Maine native averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game, shooting 48.1% from the field, 38.5% from deep and 84% from the free-throw line.
He only spent one season at Durham, but there’s no doubt his impact was bigger than some could have imagined. Now, he’s ready to take the pros by storm as well.
