Cooper Flagg Mania Reaching Fever Pitch, Freshman Drops 42 Against Notre Dame
To say that Cooper Flagg came to Duke with a lot of fanfare would be a gross understatement. The 6’9" 18-year-old from Newport, ME (who knew that place was a pipeline for basketball talent?) was billed as a sensation who could do anything you asked him to do.
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - JANUARY 11: Cooper Flagg #2 of the Duke Blue Devils brings the ball up court during the second half of the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Cameron Indoor Stadium on January 11, 2025 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
While some people may have doubted that he would live up to the hype, he’s quickly squashing all of those narratives and proving he’s one of - if not the - best players in the country. His signature performance with the Blue Devils came early Saturday afternoon.
In an 86-78 win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Flagg erupted for a statline that many players could only dream of:
- 42 Points on 11-14 shooting
- 6 Rebounds
- 7 Assists
Yes, you read that right. In the process of putting up these monster numbers, he:
- Became the first Duke freshman to score 40+ points
- Became the first Duke player since Jon Schreyer in 2009 (his head coach) to register 35+ points, 5+ points, and 5+ assists in a game
- Broke the Duke freshman scoring record
- Broke the ACC freshman scoring record
Flagg’s record-setting points came in garbage time from the free throw line, and I’ve never heard a basketball crowd that quiet. But he was scoring from everywhere, and he threw the hammer down in the second quarter.
It’s not often that you see a freshman as dominant or as versatile as Flagg, and no one in the country has had an answer for him. Flagg has been everything you could ask for in a prized recruit.
And he is only just getting started.