How Cooper Flagg has surged to the National Player of the Year favorite this season

Flagg’s performance in a marquee matchup against North Carolina was indicative of his stellar season.

When it comes to college basketball, there’s no bigger star currently than Duke sensation Cooper Flagg, who has taken the country by storm as the next big thing in the sport.

Flagg, a 6’9”, 205-pound forward from Maine, has been touted for his elite two-way ability, which has been on display during his freshman campaign with the Blue Devils. Through 21 games, he’s averaged 20 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.2 blocks, all while shooting 48.4 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from deep.

Coming into college, Flagg was touted as the next “generation-like” prospect, receiving the most hype of any incoming freshman since Zion Williamson’s arrival at Duke back in 2019.

It’s fair to say that not only has the freshman forward lived up to the expectations, but he’s actually even exceeded them in a way, cruising to the front of the line in the National Player of the Year conversation.

Flagg has surged to become the favorite for the award, with the race seeming like a two-candidate battle at the moment between the freshman and Auburn senior forward Johni Broome.

After a bit of an up-and-down start to his collegiate career, which included losses versus Kentucky and Kansas where late-game turnovers proved to be costly for Flagg, the freshman forward has been everything Duke expected since, especially as conference play has picked up.

That was especially seen at the highest level over the weekend when Flagg faced his biggest test yet: a taste of the biggest rivalry in collegiate basketball history as the Blue Devils took on the UNC Tar Heels at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

If you thought nerves and pre-game jitters would get to Flagg, think again. Because the forward exploded to start the game, accumulating nine points, four assists, a rebound, and a steal as Duke cruised to an early 18-6 lead.

Flagg ended the game with one of his best stat lines yet as the Blue Devils comfortably beat the Tar Heels, recording 21 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocks in the 87-70 victory.

After the game, the freshman forward talked about how he wasn’t satisfied with his performance, as Duke had some late-game struggles that allowed North Carolina to cut into what was over a 30-point lead at one point.

“It might be [my best college game],” Flagg said per ESPN, “but for me, I’m just trying to make the right plays. Four of the first six baskets I assisted. That’s huge for me to find my teammates and make plays for them. [The slow end] was a little bit of me being tired and making some dumb mistakes at the end. Being soft at the end kind of played into that.”

“He almost had a triple-double, and he wasn’t quite himself [at the end of the game],” coach Jon Scheyer said. “But besides that segment, he was just in control the entire game. He makes everybody better around him, and it’s a heck of a thing to have 21, 8, and 7 and you think he could’ve done more.”

Despite bringing in six freshmen amid a major roster transition this offseason, the Blue Devils are 19-2 this season, with those early season losses to Kentucky and Kansas being the only blemishes on their record.

That has Duke as the No. 2 team in the country at the moment, with Flagg at the helm, leading the Blue Devils in every major category this season.

The Blue Devils have been in similar positions before, but have fallen short when it comes to reaching their ultimate goal: the National Championship, which has evaded them since the 2014-15 season when Jahlil Okafor was the team’s star.

Since then, players such as Brandon Ingram, Jayson Tatum, Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett, Paolo Banchero and Jared McCain have come through the program, but failed to reach the big game.

But, none have arguably been as hyped as Flagg, who has consistently grown as the season has gone along, and has the opportunity to cement his legacy as a college basketball icon after just one season if he can lead the Blue Devils to the championship during March Madness.

While the National Player of the Year award seems more and more like it’ll be in the hands of the freshman, there is still much to accomplish for Cooper Flagg as he finishes up his first and likely last year of college basketball.

That begins with the end of the ACC slate, where the Blue Devils will try and do the impossible of going undefeated in conference play, bolstering their resume as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

In a year filled with significant change across the rankings in college basketball, the Blue Devils have been a mainstay in the Top 2. And that’s thanks to the likes of a strong core of players, who have managed to overcome adversity and become one of the most well-rounded teams in the country. At the forefront of it all is Flagg, who will look to finish out his Duke regular-season career with a bang, with the Syracuse Orange up first on Tuesday evening.