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Duke Reacts to Exciting Cooper Flagg News on Saturday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Cole Sullivan | Last updated Jul 19, 2025 11:10 AM ET

2025 has been quite the year for former Duke Blue Devils star and recent No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg.

Throughout the year, there was little doubt that Flagg would go No. 1 to whichever team landed the top pick. Still, few expected the Dallas Mavericks to be that team, especially considering they held just a 1.8% chance on draft lottery night.

Now, after appearing in two Summer League games in Las Vegas—including a 31-point performance—Flagg has been shut down for precautionary reasons. That means the next time we’ll see him on the court will be the 2025–26 NBA season.

Before all of that, though, Flagg was honored this week for his historic freshman season at Duke by being named the Male College Athlete of the Year at the annual ESPY Awards—an achievement that drew a proud reaction from Duke on Saturday.

"Coop trophy room lookin like a museum," Duke posted.

Coop trophy room lookin like a museum‼️️ @Cooper_Flagg pic.twitter.com/TFDqlui1vN
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) July 19, 2025

The Newport, Maine native arrived in Durham younger than most, having reclassified up to join Duke early and spending his entire freshman season at just 18 years old.

Despite his age, he led the Blue Devils in every major statistical category—averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game. His dominance earned him the Wooden Award, ACC Player of the Year, ACC Rookie of the Year, and the Naismith Trophy for the nation's best men's college basketball player.

Duke finished the season with 35 wins, capturing both the ACC regular-season and tournament titles, and making a run to the Final Four before falling to the Houston Cougars.

Now, after averaging 20.5 points across two impressive Summer League games, Flagg is set to join a veteran-laden Mavericks roster that features Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, D’Angelo Russell, and, once healthy, fellow Duke alum Kyrie Irving.

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

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