Few men’s college basketball freshmen have entered the game surrounded by hype and expectations like Duke’s Cooper Flagg. The 6-foot-9 Newport, Maine, product recently wrapped up his freshman season — which is expected to be his lone collegiate season before entering the NBA Draft.
The results? Dominant. Flagg posted 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. He shot 48.1 percent from the floor, 38 percent from three and 84 percent at the free throw line.
He led Duke to an ACC title and Final Four appearance, while earning nearly every award imaginable, including the Wooden Award and the AP Player of the Year.
He’s the rare phenom to not just live up to the hype, but surpass it. He is only the fourth freshman to win the Wooden Award, joining Zion Williamson (Duke, 2019), Anthony Davis (Kentucky, 2012) and Kevin Durant (Texas, 2007).
How exactly can his season be quantified? Whether it’s against this season’s competition or against past players who ascended to similar heights, Flagg’s season is in the conversation as one of the best freshman seasons ever.
