The storied legacy of the Duke men’s basketball is poised to enter its next chapter: five-star forward Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 recruit in high school basketball, announced his commitment to the Blue Devils on Monday morning.
Flagg, a 6-foot-8 forward who shows elite skill on both sides of the ball, reclassified to 2024 this year after averaging 26.8 points, 12.4 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 5.2 blocks in the Nike EYBL 16U circuit and then 25.4 points, 13 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 6.9 blocks at the Peach Jam.
He has long been considered a top prospect in high school regardless of class and rose to consensus No. 1 after performances like his 27-point triple-double and outburst of 45 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists in 16U play and his absurd stat line of 38 points, 16 rebounds, six assists and 12 blocks in a Peach Jam game.
With this commitment, he graces the SLAM cover, bringing to mind his buzzer-beater at the SLAM Summer Classic in August.
Flagg had plans to visit Duke, UConn and Kansas over the last month-and-a-half but canceled the trip to see the Jayhawks. After seeing UConn (visited the weekend of Sept. 22) and Duke (official visit Oct. 20; unofficial in August), it appeared the choice would come down to those two programs after his mother and the Montverde Academy (Fla.) coach said they expected a quick decision.
According to ESPN, Duke has long been the favorite, with head coach Jon Scheyer actively attending many of Flagg’s games since at least the 15U Nike EYBL circuit.
“After I got on campus, I really started to envision myself in Durham,” Flagg said in a commitment video made by SLAM. “All the love I felt made me really excited, seeing all the Crazies and the atmosphere in Cameron.”
He chose Duke, furthering the line of so many other high school greats who chose the Blue Devils. Recent Duke alums in the NBA include Paolo Banchero, RJ Barrett and Zion Williamson; active Blue Devils who have become All-Star-caliber include Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum and Brandon Ingram; and long careers were established under Mike Krzyzewski, including Grant Hill, Elton Brand and Carlos Boozer.
Flagg hopes to follow in the footsteps of those players before him under Scheyer.
BREAKING: 2024 #1 player Cooper
Flagg has committed to Duke ‼️ pic.twitter.com/GipKoYCnOy— Blue Devils (@BlueDevils) October 30, 2023
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Who is the highest-rated 2024 commit (so far) for each top 10 team in college basketball?