The Duke Blue Devils' season came to a sudden halt on Sunday with a 70-67 loss to Houston in the Final Four. March Madness is all about surprises, but few outcomes will stand the test of time like this one. We will all remember Duke's Final Four collapse for years to come.
Duke led 67-61 with 1:14 left on the clock. Then it all fell apart, from errant inbounds passes to egregious foul calls. Folks will quibble over exactly how things played out, but Houston has been that team all season. You can't let your foot off the gas pedal against a Kelvin Sampson team. It never ends well.
Talent only gets you so far in college hoops. You need to execute at a certain level. The Blue Devils scored one (one!) field goal in the final 10 minutes of Saturday's loss. Duke didn't register a defensive rebound in the final three minutes. That is inexcusable.
Cooper Flagg will naturally draw ire, as he's supposed to drag Duke through those cold spells. After a historically dominant, Wooden Award-winning freshman campaign, however, Flagg has locked up the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. He can blow smoke about returning to Durham all he wants, but Flagg has too much to lose. He will be a pro next season.
The question is... when exactly can he declare?
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When can Cooper Flagg declare for the NBA Draft? Expect a swift announcement from Wooden Award star
Several top prospects, such as Rutgers' Dylan Harper and Oklahoma's Jeremiah Fears, have already foregone their remaining college eligibility to enter the 2025 NBA Draft. Much like the transfer portal, all bets are off once the season ends. Flagg needn't wait to confirm what feels like the only logical path forward.
While Flagg clearly has personal interest in a second season at Duke, it's not going to happen. He probably wants to return more after such a heartbreaking collapse, but the NBA Draft promises him riches and opportunities. Flagg would probably be in the running for No. 1 overall pick next summer, but it's too great a risk. Too much can happen in the span of a year, and the 2026 recruiting class is no joke. Flagg doesn't want to pit himself against the likes of future Duke star Cam Boozer, not to mention BYU commit AJ Dybantsa or Kansas commit Darryn Peterson.
Flagg has an eight-figure salary and countless endorsement opportunities on the horizon. He will make the winner of May's NBA Draft Lottery very, very happy. He will also be joined by several Duke teammates, with basically the entire starting five on pro radars.
Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach, Flagg's fellow top recruits, feel like strong top-10 bets right now. Tyrese Proctor, Duke's 20-year-old point guard, has a strong bet in the second round, with a chance to move up boards further with a strong pre-draft cycle. Sion James, a fifth-year transfer from Tulane, contributed more than he'd like to admit to the Blue Devils' fourth-quarter collapse. Still, he has been steadily rising up boards all season with an impactful 3-and-D, connective skill set.
There's a decent chance all five Duke starters are selected in June. James and the three freshmen are locks to declare, as the former is out of eligibility and the latter three are surefire lottery picks. Proctor could return for a hefty NIL package, but now feels like the time to capitalize on positive reviews and take the next step in his career.