cooper flagg: Cooper Flagg reveals next steps as he ponders NBA decision in wake of viral 'one more year' chants at Duke: "Talk to my parents & coaches"

Cooper Flagg reveals next steps as he ponders NBA decision in wake of viral 'one more year' chants at Duke: "Talk to my parents & coaches"

NCAA Basketball: Final Four National Semifinal-Houston at Duke - Source: Imagn — Cooper Flagg will take his time to decide his future. - Source: Imagn

Duke Blue Devils freshman star Cooper Flagg is still undecided about what he will do next season. But when the time comes to decide, he'll do it after talking to his parents and coaches.

In an interview with ESPN on Friday, the Newport, Maine native talked about his time at Duke and his future while reminiscing on the night the crowd at Cameron Indoor Stadium chanted "One more year".

"Just evaluating. Reflecting. It was an incredible year I met a lot of incredible people, made a ton of great relationships... It's time for me to reflect. Take a couple of days, take a week, take a month. Whatever it is for me. Talk to my parents, talk to the coaches, and really decide what's best for me," Cooper Flagg said.

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The Duke star also mentioned the importance of having his family, in particular his parents, present at most of his college games. Flagg's parents, Kelly Bowman Flagg and Ralph Flagg, played college basketball.

"Having both my parents there, and even my grandparents were at most games as well. Just having that support system, knowing that your parents have been there since day one. Just knowing that they are there for you to give you that support is big for me," Cooper Flagg added.

In his only season in Durham, Flagg earned Player of the Year honors after averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks. He also led the Blue Devils to a 35-4 record and a trip to the Final Four. He also led the Blue Devils to the ACC regular season title.

While Duke was considered by many to be the top team in the NCAA Tournament, they squandered a 14-point lead in the national semifinal and ended up losing to the Houston Cougars.

Flagg suffered an ankle injury that hampered him early in the national tourney, but he saved his best for last. Against Houston, he totaled 27 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three blocks, and two steals in the losing effort.

Cooper Flagg highlights relationship with Duke teammates

Cooper Flagg has been in Durham for only one year, but it was enough to create lasting relationships with his Duke teammates and staff. When asked about a moment off the court that stands out, the forward couldn't settle on one.

"I don't think I could pick one specific moment. I think all the moments that I shared with my teammates, just hanging out, building relationships with those guys was really important to my success on the court. We are such a close-knit group off the court that it allowed us to play together, play connected on the court," Cooper Flagg said.

The former Duke player is expected to be the first overall pick in the NBA draft if he declares after just one season of college basketball. Teammates Kon Knueppel, Tyrese Proctor, and Khaman Maluach are also expected to be selected in the Draft.

About the author

Allan Wolburg Robles is a College Sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over 17 years of experience in the field writing for publications including Reforma, Yahoo! OddsShark and Apuesta. Allan studied Communications at Anáhuac University, where he learned what would become the basis of a trade that was already a dream of his before starting college.

His favorite team is Army West Point as when he was young, Allan lived in West Point for a couple of years, went to pretty much every home game, a couple of Army-Navy games and even got to meet some of the players.

Allan's favorite players of all time include Tommie Frazier, who was unbelievable during the Nebraska dynasty of the early 90's. Tim Tebow was also a favorite, mainly because of his leadership skills, although he was also awesome on the football field. As a fan of defensive football, (or what's left of it), Sean Taylor could take over a game for Miami.

Allan has always considered himself a student of the game more than a fan of it. So the historical part and evolution of the game, as well as the ins and outs of what happens on the field, and being able to put it into words for the audience, are his biggest strengths.

Besides sports, Allan enjoys reading books, watching movies and spending time with his dogs.

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Edited by Debasish