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Duke men’s basketball freshman Cooper Flagg has been named Newcomer of the Year and Preseason Second Team All-American by the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook.
Flagg is the only underclassman among the 20 players featured on the annual publication’s four preseason all-America teams, which consists of seven graduate students, eight seniors, four juniors and the Duke freshman.
A five-star prospect from Newport, Maine, Flagg is the top-rated player in the 2024 class by both 247Sports and ESPN out of Montverde Academy in Florida. He is just the second Duke signee all-time with a 1.0000 rating from 247Sports, joining RJ Barrett. Flagg was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year, Naismith Player of the Year and a McDonald’s All-American as a senior in 2023-24, averaging 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.7 blocks per game to lead Montverde to a 33-0 record and a national championship title. The 17-year-old elevated his profile even further this summer as the only teenager and lone collegiate player among the 15 athletes named to the 2024 USA Basketball Men’s Select Team, which trained with the USA Basketball Men’s National Team in early July as they prepared for the Paris Olympic Games. He was also a member of the 2024 USA Men’s Nike Hoop Summit team that defeated the World Select squad, 98-75, posting team highs of 19 points and 11 rebounds. Duke’s first event at Cameron Indoor Stadium for the 2024-25 campaign is Countdown to Craziness on Friday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Oct. 19, the Blue Devils will play an exhibition game against 2024 CIAA Tournament champion Lincoln (Pa.), followed by the Brotherhood Run charity exhibition game against Arizona State, coached by Duke Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Bobby Hurley, on Sunday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. Both exhibition games will be played in Durham. Duke officially opens the third season under head coach Jon Scheyer on Monday, Nov. 4, against Maine at Cameron Indoor Stadium. |
