"Johni Broome was robbed" "The only option": NCAA hoops fans divided as Cooper Flagg secures Player of the Year award

Duke Blue Devils swingman Cooper Flagg is making headlines for an achievement he made earlier on Tuesday, March 25. Flagg was announced as the 2025 National Player of the Year after receiving both the Oscar Robertson Trophy and the Wayman Tisdale Award from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

In his first stint with the program, who holds the No. 1 seed in the East Region, Flagg garnered the award after he led the Jon Scheyer-coached team to a successful season thus far with a current 33-3 overall record, 19-1 during conference play.

Some college basketball fans and spectators were not in favor of the first-year sensation winning it as for them, it should've been Auburn Tigers stalwart Johni Broome.

"Johni Broome was robbed," one user claimed.

"BROOME > Flagg," another user asserted with a video of a highlight from Broome.

"The ACC is a f**kin joke," a user captioned.

For many collegiate hoops fans and spectators, especially the Blue Devil faithful, Flagg securing this year's NPOY Award is well deserved, for he has burst through the college scene as a freshman.

"The only option. Congrats Coop!!!!," one fan wrote with emojis.

"No brainer. Well deserved, Coop!!," another fan said with emojis.

"Called this at the beginning of the season," a fan shared.

For the season, Flagg averaged a team-high 18.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.2 blocks a game, while Broome tallied averages of 18.4 markers, 10.7 boards, 3.0 dimes and 2.2 swats per contest.

The race for the 2025 NPOY throughout the season came down to two players

Although there were four total finalists for this campaign's National Player of the Year Award, namely Florida Gators' Walter Clayton Jr. and Purdue Boilermakers' Braden Smith, the race largely came down to Cooper Flagg and Johni Broome, as their programs alternated as the top teams in the nation.

While Flagg ultimately won the nod, Broome can lead his team towards a bigger goal, which is the national championship, as they now turn their attention to their Sweet 16 matchup with the Michigan Wolverines on Friday, March 29. Meanwhile, Flagg and the Duke Blue Devils are set to face the Arizona Wildcats on Thursday, March 28.