Freshman standout Cooper Flagg and the Duke Blue Devils have earned a spot in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, securing the No. 1 seed in the East Region.
Duke clinched the ACC championship, which granted them an automatic bid, even without Flagg, who suffered an ankle injury during the quarterfinals. However, another impressive freshman, Kon Knueppel, stepped up in Flagg’s absence, earning the ACC tournament MVP.
Thankfully for the Blue Devils, Flagg is expected to return for the first round.
Before his debut in the tournament, Gatorade shared an Instagram post in collaboration with Flagg and UConn women’s basketball star Paige Bueckers. The post showcased a new commercial for their campaign, “The Take,” featuring Flagg, Bueckers, and USC’s JuJu Watkins, all of whom will be competing in March Madness.
The new promo features clips of the three stars playing for their respective teams as they narrate the commercial together.
“I could tell you about what I gave to be here. My work. I sweat. My talent. But what about everything I’ve taken? I accepted their stomping, yelling, loudness, takes, time, and comments—their affection. I grabbed everything from them. And now that I’m out there, all I hear is ball.”
This is Flagg’s first commercial with Gatorade in what seems to be a long-term engagement for the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Watkins, on the other hand, will have her own Gatorade water bottle, which is due to be released on Tuesday. It features her catchphrase, “Without Struggle, There is No Progress.”
Flagg and Duke will play on Friday against the winner of the No. 16 seed play-in game between American and Mount St. Marys.
Bueckers and Watkins will both play on Saturday for a chance to face each other in the Elite 8.
