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Cooper Flagg Finds Loneliest Sport to Help Get Over Duke's Final Four Loss

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kendall Capps | Last updated Apr 7, 2025 5:32 PM ET

Duke was mere seconds away from reaching the NCAA Championship game on Saturday night. The Blue Devils led the Houston Cougars by six with 30 seconds left in the Final Four.

However, an ill-timed turnover, missed free throws, and a missed jumper from Duke superstar Cooper Flagg resulted in Houston pulling off an unbelievable comeback.

Flagg, who is regarded as the best prospect heading into the NBA Draft, was seen distraught leaving the court after the loss.

It appears he found a way to try and forget about the Blue Devils collapse.

On Monday, a video surfaced of Flagg taking aim from Duke's driving range.

The offseason has officially begun for Cooper Flagg.

Just days after Duke’s Final Four loss to Houston, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft was spotted dialing in his swing at the driving range. ⛳️

(via carolinacockroach//TT) #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/FhmPmye3BR
— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) April 7, 2025

There is no one anywhere near the Duke freshman. Golf is known as the loneliest sport on Earth. It is a sport where you are playing against yourself, battling your thoughts.

Knowing Flagg is a basketball player, maybe this was his way to simply block out all of the noise and push the pain from the loss aside.

Flagg is expected to be the number one pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.

He had a fantastic freshman season, averaging more than 19 points per game on 48 percent shooting. He chipped in with 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals per game during his lone college season.

Flagg won the AP Player of the Year, ACC Player of the Year and the Julius Erving Award.

What makes his prowess on the court even more impressive is how scholastically inclined he is. It was revealed on Monday that Flagg supported a 4.0 GPA during his freshman year.

The 18-year-old balled out in the loss to Houston. He scored 27 of his team's 67 points, to go with seven rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals.

But he will likely only remember his missed turnaround jumper for the win that came up short.

Houston will tip it off against Florida for the National Championship on Monday night.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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