What top 2024 recruit Cooper Flagg's commitment means for Duke
Early on Monday, Cooper Flagg, the consensus top recruit in the class of 2024, announced his commitment to Duke on the cover of Slam magazine.
“I think after I got on campus at Duke, I really started to feel it, to be honest. That’s something the coaches definitely stressed to me, that once you get to campus, it’s something you have to feel," Flagg said to Slam. "And [I knew then] I wanted to go to Duke and that’s where I wanted to play college basketball."
Flagg first visited Durham on an unofficial visit in August. Last weekend, he took his official visit and got to observe practice, interact with the coaching staff and players, and attend Duke's "Countdown to Craziness" event that showcased the men's and women's basketball teams.
"Being on the visit, I got to see them in practice, and see how they were holding their guys accountable, and really pushing them to be better," said Flagg. "Especially from all the love I saw this last weekend when I was there, it made me really excited, all the [Cameron] Crazies and the fans."
Flagg is one of the highest-rated high school recruits in recent memory. Everywhere he's gone, he's not only showcased his own elite abilities, but he's elevated the team around him and contributed to winning basketball.
Most notably, Flagg averaged 25.4 points, 13 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 6.9 blocks to help lead underdogs Maine United to the EYBL Peach Jam finals. That performance helped assert Flagg as a generational talent.
A 6-foot-8 forward, Flagg has all the tools necessary to be a versatile, elite player in the modern game. He can shoot from deep, drive inside, has elite athleticism and has remarkable defensive instincts, especially around the rim as a shot blocker.
A common comparison for Flagg is a "better version of Andrei Kirilenko." Kirilenko was an NBA All-Star who made multiple All-Defensive Teams.
Flagg's commitment makes Duke look like early title favorites for the 2024-25 season. He will join five-star wings Isaiah Evans and Kon Knueppel and four-star wing Darren Harris to form what will likely be the top recruiting class in the country. Duke is also still in consideration to sign another trio of five-star recruits: guard Dylan Harper, wing VJ Edgecombe and center Patrick Ngongba II.
Sophomore center Kyle Filipowski; sophomore guard Tyrese Proctor; and former five-star freshmen Caleb Foster, Jared McCain, Sean Stewart and TJ Power could all potentially return for next season.
Filipowski was projected by many to enter the NBA Draft after an outstanding freshman season in which he averaged 15.1 points and nine rebounds per game, but he made the surprise decision to return to Duke for his sophomore season. If he continues to improve and elects to return for his junior year alongside Flagg and the rest of the 2024 recruiting class, it's hard to see anyone stopping that frontcourt.
Duke has not won a national championship since 2015. Many were unsure if head coach Jon Scheyer would be able to continue former head coach Mike Krzyzewski's legacy after he retired in 2022. Flagg's commitment shows that Duke basketball is just fine under the new leadership and gives the Blue Devils their best chance at a national title since Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish led the Blue Devils to the Elite Eight in 2019.
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