The Duke Blue Devils’ national championship dreams came to a dramatic and heartbreaking conclusion on Saturday, as they were edged out by Houston in the Final Four, 70-67. Despite holding a six-point lead with less than a minute remaining, Duke couldn’t hold on.
Star freshman Cooper Flagg capped off a phenomenal season with 27 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three blocks, and two steals. However, he missed a potential game-tying jumper with eight seconds remaining, ending Duke’s title hopes.
Flagg is now expected to enter the upcoming NBA Draft, where he’s widely projected to be the No. 1 overall pick.
While there’s often speculation about players favoring certain teams, Flagg said he’s grateful for the opportunity to play anywhere in the league.
“Getting drafted by any NBA team would be a blessing,” Flagg told Adam Zagoria. “It’s been a dream of mine to play in the NBA, and I’d feel truly honored to join any organization.”
Fans on X had mixed and colorful reactions:
- “So the ‘I wanna stay another year’ was cap,” one user posted.
- “He won’t be saying that if he gets drafted by the Utah Jazz,” another joked.
- “If he wants to avoid the Wizards, he better stay all four years,” a third commented.
- “He’s a Raptor, and he’ll win a ring in his rookie season,” one fan predicted.
- “He’s got that dream-chaser energy! Love the passion,” another added.
- “Alright bud, come to the Knicks—we’ll take ya,” someone else chimed in.
Flagg, a dynamic and athletic 6-foot-9 forward, is known for his versatility—he can score at all three levels, crash the boards, facilitate, and make life difficult for opponents on defense.
Some analysts have drawn comparisons between Flagg and Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, known for his all-around game and championship pedigree with the Chicago Bulls.
Flagg wrapped up his season averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.4 steals per game, while shooting 48.1% from the floor and 38.5% from beyond the arc.