Cooper Flagg could very likely hold more than his own weight in the NBA today, but by rule, he must be one year removed from high school before going pro.
So, he opted to go to Duke, and while most are predicting he’s a one-and-done, that may actually not be the case.
In a recent interview with “The Athletic,” Flagg, projected to be the No. 1 selection in this summer’s NBA Draft, made a stunning proclamation about his basketball future.
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Duke Blue Devils guard Cooper Flagg (2) looks on prior to the game against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome.
“S—, I want to come back next year,” the freshman said.
“I still feel like a kid,” he continued. “This is the only way I’ve ever known college. That’s how I see it. I really wouldn’t know how kids felt before, and if this feels different, if this feels more like being a professional. I mean, it’s the same thing for kids in high school, too, getting paid a lot of money. I don’t know. I feel pretty normal.”
The 6’9″ forward has been dominating as part of the No. 4 team in the country, averaging 19.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per contest. He’s started all of his 24 games played this season, shooting 48.3% from the floor and 37.0% from deep.
Duke’s Cooper Flagg (2) drives as Wake Forest’s Tre’Von Spillers (25) defends during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Winston-Salem, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)
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Flagg actually started the college season as a 17-year-old, turning 18 just four days before Christmas. (He reclassified to graduate high school a year early.) He was the highest-rated recruit for the class of 2024 and received a Division I offer from Bryant before even completing middle school.
The Newport, Maine, native attended the Montverde Academy in Florida after playing his freshman year at Falmouth High School in his home state.
Duke’s Cooper Flagg (2) high-fives head coach Jon Scheyer, right, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against North Carolina State in Durham, N.C., Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)
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It is rather uncommon for top NBA prospects to spend more than one year in college nowadays, but perhaps NIL has changed the game. Yet again, it is fun to stay young, as Flagg feels.
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