Cooper Flagg learns to deal with hype at Duke: ‘I don’t think he likes the attention’
The mania surrounding Cooper Flagg at Duke is here. And it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
Flagg, the most hyped recruit of the 2024 class and the projected No. 1 NBA Draft pick for 2025, spoke publicly on Friday for the first time since starting his career with the Blue Devils.
Wearing a “Dream Biggest” Duke T-shirt, the 6-foot-4 freshman forward sounded confident and excited about Duke officially starting practice this week. It’s been a whirlwind start to college for the program’s biggest recruit since Zion Williamson — who even had former President Barack Obama coming to Durham to watch the game — but Flagg is dealing with it the best he can.
goooooo @Cooper_Flagg 😈😈🦾 pic.twitter.com/Ie6lLNpJZK
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) September 27, 2024
“I think hypes and such are something you learn to deal with. And for me, it’s just about playing basketball, so I’m looking forward to getting started with our team,” Flagg told reporters in Durham.
“We have an incredible group of guys. I got to know everyone on the team very well. So I’m really looking forward to getting started. As far as the hype for me, I just focus on playing basketball and trying to win every day.
Flagg, who is from Newport, Maine, and already has a shoe deal with New Balance, was originally a member of the 2025 recruiting class but was reclassified to 2024 last August. His parents are Blue Devils fans who often watch the basketball team at home owned the family television while Flagg grew up with his two brothers.
Flagg committed to Duke in October. With him on the floor, the Blue Devils should be a contender against anyone.
GO DEEPER
Cooper Flagg and the small New England town that raised basketball’s brightest young star
“I’ve seen a lot of different seasons, different hypes, different expectations. With Cooper, I don’t know if we’ve ever had a 17-year-old with so much attention around him – and a lot of that is deserved, given the high school career he’s had and what he’s done,” Duke coach Jon said. Scheyer told reporters.
“But we talk about all the things we can control. And that has been our focus,” Scheyer said. “Cooper does a great job of coming to practice every day to work. To be honest, I don’t think he likes the attention. I think what he’s all about is he wants to be like the other guys in terms of not caring about the attention, wanting to win, wanting to compete.”
Flagg will play in front of Blue Devils fans for the first time next week during the program’s “Countdown to Craziness” event on Oct. 4 before Duke opens its season on Oct. 19 with an exhibition against Lincoln (Pa.) University. In the meantime, Flagg will continue to base himself in Durham.
Coop brings the 🔒🔒🔒 @Cooper_Flagg pic.twitter.com/JDOx0BrLSd
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) September 27, 2024
“He’s 17. So at the beginning of the season he’ll be going through some things. That’s part of it,” Scheyer said.
“But because he was there for him in those moments and grew as a player, that’s why he came to Duke. So I want this to be – I want him to enjoy this year. I want him to enjoy the practices, enjoy his college days at Duke, enjoy his teammates and obviously work like crazy to become a better player. And that is what we do every day.”
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(Photo: Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
