Unsurprisingly, Duke phenom Cooper Flagg has declared for the 2025 NBA Draft following a historic freshman season. Teams at the next level have been waiting (and tanking) for this moment, crossing their fingers to land him. Meanwhile, Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer must attempt to replicate his elite production next season.
Flagg led Duke in all five major statistical categories this year: points (19.2), rebounds (7.5), assists (4.2), steals (1.4) and blocks (1.4) per game. He became the fourth-ever freshman to win the AP men's college basketball Player of the Year award, doing so near-unanimously. In other words, it won't be easy for Scheyer to fill his void.
But Duke's among the country's most prestigious programs, and Scheyer was appointed as the heir to legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski for a reason. Even with Flagg no longer in the picture, the Cameron Crazies should trust the process and expect to continue contending for a national championship.
Jon Scheyer, Duke remain ready to rock despite Cooper Flagg declaring for the 2025 NBA Draft
Again, Duke's status as a college basketball powerhouse certainly makes Scheyer's post-Flagg life easier, and it seemingly already has. The Blue Devils will welcome incoming freshman Cameron Boozer to campus this fall, 247Sports' No. 3-ranked 2025 recruit and the top overall power forward.
Boozer is about as ideal a Flagg replacement as possible. He's a versatile two-way force who can impact winning in various ways and will lead Duke's new-look frontcourt. His brother, Cayden, will also play a vital role for the Blue Devils next season, especially considering Sion James has exhausted his eligibility among several backcourt departures.
Moreover, Caleb Foster, Maliq Brown, Patrick Ngongba and Darren Harris are returning to Durham, giving Scheyer some familiar faces to work with. None of them were significant contributors to the team's 2025 Final Four run, though there figure to be more opportunities with Flagg and Co. gone. Meanwhile, Isaiah Evans has yet to announce his plans, but he's a potential late first-round pick, which could lead to him testing the draft waters.
Duke is no stranger to employing stars for a good time, not a long time. They're a one-and-done factory, and Flagg isn't the only first-year standout set to leap to the pros this offseason. Second Team All-ACC wing Kon Knueppel will join him as a lottery pick, and junior guard Tyrese Proctor is also headed to the Association.
Center Khaman Maluach hasn't declared for the draft (yet), but the South Sudanese 7-footer is the No. 1-ranked center on FanSided's latest big board. While raw, his intriguing skill set and size make him a tantalizing prospect. It'd be shocking if he didn't add to the list of 2024-25 Blue Devils going to the NBA, but that'd be massive news for Scheyer.