"It’s just about playing basketball": Duke sensation Cooper Flagg shows genuine love for the game amid preseason hype

Duke freshman Cooper Flagg shared excitement for playing with the Duke Blue Devils and isn't distracted by the attention surrounding him. Flagg, the nation's No. 1 overall recruit has been generous with selfies for fans at Duke, but his love of basketball is his major focus at the Cameroon Indoor Stadium.

Flagg is projected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft. He played for Montverde Academy before committing to the Duke Blue Devils. During the Duke's annual media day on Friday, Flagg shared how he was devoted to the game single-mindedly, per CBS17:

“For me, it’s just about playing basketball. I’m excited to get going with our team. We have an incredible group of guys.”

Flagg was the recipient of several national honors at high school. He was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year and Naismith Player of the Year. A McDonald's All-American, Cooper was also named the Mr. Basketball USA.

Flagg shared that he found fans getting crazy at his presence when he first arrived at Duke. But the 17-year-old shared that he took the attention surrounding him as a compliment for the hard work he had put in.

Duke has a strong roster for Cooper Flagg to improve his game. He will rub shoulders with experienced stars like Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster. Duke has also roped in top transfers like Sion James, Maliq Brown, Mason Gillis and Cameron Sheffield this year.

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Jon Scheyer on the learning quest of Cooper Flagg

Jon Scheyer was successful in landing six top freshmen this year, including Cooper Flagg. All of them were ranked among the 40 best prospects in the nation. Much attention has zoomed in on Flagg only, but the star has handled that with maturity.

Scheyer shared that not the attention but the desire to learn was the source of pride for Cooper Flagg, per ESPN:

“He prides himself on knowing the game. He prides himself on picking things up right away. Cooper is a guy you just have to tell once, and then he’s got it. And he’s been open to learning on a daily basis.”

Drawing insights from his experience, Scheyer shared how Cooper Flagg is almost immune to popularity and is different than many players he had seen, per ESPN:

"I've seen a lot of different seasons, different hype, different expectations. And with Cooper, I don't know if we've ever had a 17-year-old with this much hype and attention. We talk about all the things we can control, and that's what we focus on.

"Cooper, I don't think he likes all the attention, to be honest. He's all about just wanting to be like the other guys -- wanting to win, wanting to compete. And he's done a great job of setting the tone for all of that."

Flagg was a Duke Blue Devils' 2025 recruiting class member but joined the program this season. He also considered an offer from UConn but signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Duke in November 2023.

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