Former Duke Blue Devils star Cooper Flagg appears to be like poised to be the No. 1 choose within the 2025 NBA Draft, and with the Dallas Mavericks successful the NBA Draft Lottery on Monday evening — regardless of having a 1.8% chance to win — the 6-foot-9 ahead is probably going off to Northern Texas.
What’s it that makes Flagg, the No. 1 recruit within the Class of 2024, worthy of being the No. 1 choose? On Tuesday’s version of “The Herd,” former Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski described what he loves about Flagg.
“Cooper’s simply distinctive,” Krzyzewski stated. “He is so sturdy. His legs are so sturdy. Athletically, he is gifted. Whenever you add his athletic skill and his aggressive angle, you’ve a really particular man. He can actually rating the ball. I feel he is a great shooter making an attempt to grow to be a very good shooter.”
Flagg is coming off a spectacular freshman season with the Blue Devils, averaging 19.2 factors, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per recreation, whereas taking pictures 48.1/38.5/84.0. Flagg earned numerous accolades: AP Participant of the Yr, Picket Award Winner and ACC Participant of the Yr, amongst different honors. He then averaged 21.0 factors per recreation throughout Duke’s 5 NCAA Event video games.
If certainly chosen first, Flagg can be the sixth participant from Duke to be taken with the No. 1 choose within the NBA Draft, Artwork Heyman (1963), Elton Model (1999), Kyrie Irving (2011), Zion Williamson (2019) and Paolo Banchero (2022) being the opposite 5.
Flagg would be part of a Mavericks staff coming off a chaotic season that noticed them commerce famous person Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers for, most notably, Anthony Davis in February and later end tenth within the Western Convention at 39-43. With the staff at full power well being clever, the Mavericks’ 2025-26 beginning 5 would doubtlessly be Irving, Klay Thompson, Flagg, Davis and Daniel Gafford. Only one 12 months in the past, the Mavericks have been within the NBA Finals.
Krzyzewski’s final season teaching college basketball was the 2021-22 season, with assistant Jon Scheyer succeeding him. The Blue Devils reached the Last 4 final season however misplaced in gut-wrenching vogue, blowing a six-point lead within the remaining minute towards the Houston Cougars. After all, Duke gained 5 nationwide titles underneath Krzyzewski, who’s first in NCAA historical past with 1,202 profession wins, 1,129 of them coming with the Blue Devils from the 1980-81 season to the 2021-22 season.
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