IN PHOTOS: No. 1 recruit Cooper Flagg sweats it out on court during intense practise session with Duke

After catching national headlines with his performance during the Olympics scrimmage last month, Cooper Flagg is back in Durham preparing for his college debut. The No.1 recruit has been engaging in intense practice sessions with his Duke teammates, as evidenced by the photos posted by hsi team on Instagram.

Sharing a series of completely sweated-out players, including Flagg, the caption read:

"You’re gonna love this squad 😈😈😈🏀"

The Blue Devils have gone through a major roster overhaul following their Elite Eight run last season. With most players, except Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster, entering the transfer portal, the 2024-25 squad is filled with portal additions like Mason Gillis. Maliq Brown and Sion James.

Freshman recruits make a big part of the roster with Cooper Flagg, along with Isaiah Evans, Kon Knueppel, Darren Harris, Khaman Maluach and Patrick Ngongba II. Flagg is expected to take the lead in the upcoming season and help the Blue Devils win a championship. They won their last in 2015 under Mike Krzyzewski.

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Cooper Flagg finally reveals why he chose Duke over other major programs

As the top recruit, Cooper Flagg drew offers from many schools, including UConn, UCLA, Michigan, Georgia and his home-state school, Maine, among others. When it came to the final decision, the forward took his time before choosing Duke.

During an appearance on 'The Brotherhood' podcast, Cooper Flagg explained:

“It was something coach Scheyer had stressed to me a lot going through the whole process was about the feel. Like I would know when I got the feeling of where I wanted to be. I think it really came down to when I came on my visit, I was able to meet all the guys on our team last year, interact with the coaches a bunch more.

“Just kind’ve had that feeling of being on campus, really just imagining myself being here, walking the same places that you guys were walking to practice and the halls. Once I kind’ve felt that, I kind’ve had the feeling like, this is where I wanted to be. And that’s kind’ve what helped to propel my decision."

Although much has changed since his official visits to the schools in the off-season, Cooper Flagg has remained steadfast in his commitment to the school. The forward's debut in the fall is one of the most anticipated moments for the upcoming season as fans are eager to see his performance.

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What are your predictions for Cooper Flagg's rookie season with the Duke Blue Devils? Let's know in the comment section below: