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Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) dribbles the ball against the Houston Cougars during the second half in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome. Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

How Cooper Flagg's freshman season measures up all-time

By Zach Wadley | Last updated Apr 9, 2025 9:37 PM ET

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.

ACC Player of the Year, Cooper Flagg regular season highlights @DukeMBB | @DukeATHLETICS | # pic.twitter.com/GVYYDEWE2M
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) March 29, 2025

Flagg vs. fellow 2024-25 freshmen

It's not close. He was far and away the most productive freshman of the 2024 class. Flagg's 8.4 win shares, according to Sports Reference, ranked second in the nation and first among freshmen. Teammate Kon Knueppel's 6.4 was second-best among freshmen. It's not that other highly rated freshmen like Rutgers' Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper or UConn's Liam McNeeley had poor seasons — it's just that Flagg stood head and shoulders above the rest.

Flagg vs. other freshmen Wooden Award winners

The aforementioned quartet of freshmen who have won the Wooden Award is a loaded group. Flagg ranks third in the group in scoring, fourth in rebounding and third in win shares. Where he shined compared to Williamson, Davis and Durant is passing the ball. His assist numbers are tops among them. Only Davis led his team further in the NCAA Tournament than Flagg did.

Flagg vs. previous Duke top-rated recruits

Flagg was Duke's fifth No. 1-rated recruit since ESPN's Top 100 began in 2007, joining RJ Barrett (2019), Marvin Bagley III (2017), Harry Giles III (2016) and Jahlil Okafor (2014).

Only Okafor led his team further, winning a national championship in 2015. Statistically speaking, Flagg ranked third in points, fourth in rebounds and second in assists. However, his 8.4 win shares were tops among the five, with Bagley's 6.9 coming in second.

Was Flagg the best freshman in the game this season? Undoubtedly. Of all-time? He was close. His all-around game was a rare find for a college player and his ability to produce in the biggest games showed he could handle the pressure.

He may have fallen short of his dream to lead Duke to a national championship, but he turned in a season that was worthy of every accolade that came his way.

Zach Wadley

Zach Wadley's sportswriting career began at the age of 12 when he started covering Little League games for his local newspaper. Since then, he's worked in the sports information field where he merged his love of writing, social media, and broadcasting. He is a graduate of Anderson University (IN).

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