‘It’s just about playing basketball’: Duke’s Cooper Flagg taking preseason hype in stride

DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) – The Duke men’s basketball program offered a first glimpse at its new team during its annual media day on Friday.

Lots of new faces arrived over the offseason to suit up for the Blue Devils this year, as well as one of the bigger, taller rosters that Duke has fielded in recent memory.

Entering the 2024-25 season with lofty expectations as a preseason top-10 team, the Blue Devils brought in the top-ranked recruiting class in the nation, highlighted by No. 1 overall recruit Cooper Flagg.

Meanwhile, Duke also returns veterans Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster, as well as adds incoming transfers Sion James (Tulane), Maliq Brown (Syracuse), Mason Gillis (Purdue) and Cameron Sheffield (Rice), providing a solid mixture of talent and experience for Jon Scheyer and his coaching staff.

Of course, all eyes were fixed on Flagg during Friday’s practice, as the 6-foot-9 freshman forward left a significant impression among onlookers, showcasing his versatility on the court.

“I don’t know if we’ve ever had a 17-year-old with as much attention, you know, around him, and a lot of it rightfully so,” Scheyer said during his media day press conference on Friday.

When asked about Flagg’s skills, the Duke head coach said he’s obviously talented, but one particular thing really stood out about him.

“He prides himself on knowing the game. He prides himself on picking things up right away,” Scheyer said. “Cooper is a guy you just have to tell once, and then he’s got it. And he’s been open to learning on a daily basis.”

“I think the area that he’s further ahead than I maybe thought is his shooting,” Scheyer added. “He’s a good shooter.”

Flagg, the reigning Gatorade National Boys Player of the Year and projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, said he’s willing to do anything required of him to lead the Blue Devils to success.

“Whatever the read is, whatever the defense is playing, whatever coach needs me to do, that’s the type of player I want to be,” Flagg said. “Just try to do whatever I can to help my team win.”

Despite all of the mania surrounding his first (and likely only) year on the collegiate level, he’s handling all the attention in stride.

“There’s always eyes like everywhere that we’re going around campus,” Flagg said. “When we first got here, some of the students even were kind of going crazy, but to me, it’s kind of just like a compliment in a way.”

“If somebody wants to take a picture, somebody wants an autograph, it’s a compliment at the end of the day,” he added.

The Maine native said he isn’t going to let all the hype get in the way of what he and his teammates hope to accomplish this season.

“For me, it’s just about playing basketball,” Flagg said. “I’m excited to get going with our team. We have an incredible group of guys.”