The Associated Press released its preseason All-America team on Monday, and Duke basketball star [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] continues to rack up accolades as he was the only freshman on the roster.
Flagg finished with 24 votes out of a possible 55, leaving him in a tie for fifth with former North Carolina Tar Heels star Caleb Love.
The top-ranked freshman already took home preseason ACC Rookie of the Year honors and made the All-ACC First Team in the preseason poll, and judging by his exhibition performance against Lincoln this past Saturday, the hype is justified. Flagg finished with 22 points, six assists, and four blocks in just 24 minutes, including a resounding block off the backboard in the opening minutes.
Even before this weekend, the 6-foot-9 forward carried the expectations of a generational prospect. He didn’t lose a game as a high-school senior and made the U.S. Select Team for Olympic training camp, scrimmaging against legends like LeBron James and Kevin Durant. ESPN thinks he’s more likely to be the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft than not.
Alabama Crimson Tide star Mark Sears, North Carolina’s RJ Davis, Kansas’ Hunter Dickinson, and Auburn Tigers forward Johni Broome rounded out the roster. Davis, Dickinson, and Broome all appear on the Duke schedule this season, including a November 26 against the Jayhawks in Las Vegas and a December 4 home game against Auburn.