Duke Blue Devils star Cooper Flagg is one of the most exciting young prospects in basketball. The guard is expected to be a lottery pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, with many claiming he’s a lock to go first overall. While he’s naturally gifted, he’s also committed to working on his game and improving, which has left Jon Scheyer thoroughly impressed.
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In a joint ESPN interview with Flagg, the Duke head coach raved about the young star’s intensity in training and on the court. He spoke glowingly about his self-belief and his desire to compete. Scheyer said,
“Cooper’s been just a special guy to coach so far and to me, the best quality that he’s brought is the level in which he competes on a daily basis. He’s the same way every time, he doesn’t turn it on and off, it’s always on. He’s had great confidence and he has a confidence because he backs it up with work.”
Flagg also showcased his humility during the interview. He claimed there’s no guarantee he’d be the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and he’s determined to earn that distinction in his debut and likely only season with the Blue Devils.
The 17-year-old rose to fame with his dominant displays in high school. He led the Nokomis Regional High School to a Class A State Championship before transferring to Montverde Academy and helping them win a State Championship in his senior year.
The hype around Flagg has continued to grow after he committed to Duke and impressed some of the best NBA players during the summer.
Cooper Flagg has turned some heads this year
The guard was invited to be part of the USA Select Team to help Team USA prepare for the Paris Olympics. The Duke star impressed some big names at the camp with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Jalen Duren among the stars that spoke highly of the young star. Durant called Flagg a ‘hell of a player’.
Although the pressure is mounting and expectations are rising, Flagg is taking it in stride. The Duke star seems completely unbothered by the noise surrounding his upcoming season and is working hard on his game.
Scheyer is extremely pleased with his work ethic and is backing him to have a big freshman year. It will be interesting to see how he handles the pressure once his college career begins.
