Whenever Cooper Flagg committed to the Duke Blue Devils, the expectations were massive. At every turn, though, the future No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft has been as good as advertised. On Saturday ahead of the start of the Men's Final Four, that was made officially official as Flagg was announced as the Wooden Award winner for the 2024-25 season, given out to the best player in college basketball.
Though the race throughout the regular season was tight for much of the year between Flagg and Auburn star big man Johni Broome, the Duke frosh separated himself from Broome the way they'd done from the rest of the pack throughout the grueling schedule. Including March Madness, Flagg has been a do-it-all star, averaging 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 37.4% from 3-point range and 48.3% from the field. There's not an area of the game where he hasn't made a massive impact game after game.
Flagg's season isn't done, though, as the Blue Devils still, ideally, have two games remaining. On Saturday, they'll take on the Houston Cougars in one of the two battles of No. 1 seeds in the Final Four. And Duke fans are hoping that Flagg's unforgettable campaign in Durham won't end like so many before him in recent history have.
Cooper Flagg wins Wooden Award but Duke fans would rather have a title
There is surely no shortage of college basketball greats who have soaked in the cheers from the Cameron Crazies, which is evidenced by the fact that Flagg is now the seventh Wooden Award winner in program history. However, there are two crucial elements regarding that which Duke fans are surely aware of, or at least feel emotionally.
First, Duke hasn't won a championship in a decade (2015). Second, only two of the previous six Wooden Award winners for the Blue Devils were able to cut down the nets at the end of the season.
It's been since Shane Battier, who took home the individual honor in 2001, that Duke has seen a Wooden Award recipient lead the Blue Devils to a national championship. Since that time, Jay Williams (2002), J.J. Redick (2006) and Zion Williamson (2019) all capture the award but failed to win a title. In fact, it was Williamson's team, which made it to the Elite Eight, that made it the farthest in the NCAA Tournament among that trio of former stars.
Elton Brand (1999) is the other Duke legend to win the award but fall short of a title, losing in the National Championship Game. Christian Laettner, meanwhile, was Duke's first Wooden Award winner and led the Blue Devils to the 1992 title.
Make no mistake, wherever Flagg ends up by way of the draft lottery determining which team gets the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Duke fans will continue to show him love and support as one of their own. However, he would potentially elevate himself to an unquestinable proverbial Mount Rushmore spot if he can put a Duke national championship next to the individual honor he just acquired.