Cooper Flagg Tracker: Duke star freshman struggles in loss to No. 1 Kansas, turns ball over late again

Duke star freshman Cooper Flagg scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half, but it wasn't enough as No. 1 Kansas defeated No. 11 Duke 75-72 in a thrilling nonconference game in Las Vegas on Tuesday. Flagg finished with five rebounds and three assists but turned the ball over four times in a slim loss to the Jayhawks. 

Flagg has scored in double figures in five of his first six games. He was coming off arguably the best performance of his young career, posting a team-high 24 points in a 69-55 win over Arizona last week.

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Flagg threw down a monster poster dunk in the second half against Kansas on Tuesday.

Key stat

1 for 2: Flagg scored only two points in the first half, hitting one of his two field-goal attempts before halftime. Flagg got going somewhat offensively after intermission and scored 11 of his 13 points after halftime.

Giving out a grade

Flagg delivered a highlight-worthy dunk and made some strong defensive plays, this was probably the worst outing of his young college career. His performance against Arizona last week showed what he's capable of doing. With his team trailing by one, Flagg turned the ball over with 48 seconds remaining, which gave Kansas the ball back. It was somewhat similar to what happened at the end of Duke's game against Kentucky. Grade: C

Up next

Duke will stay in Las Vegas the next few days before facing Seattle U. The Redhawks face Furman in the second game of the doubleheader on Tuesday in Sin City. Seattle U is off to a 2-3 start to the season.

Flagg putting up big numbers 

On Friday night in Tucson, Arizona, No. 12 Duke went into the hornet's nest that is the McKale Center and won convincingly 69-55 over a talented No. 17 Arizona team that has been nearly automatic on its home floor under coach Tommy Lloyd. The schematic explanation for how they did so includes forcing turnovers, making big 3s and creating extra opportunities, but the simple explanation boils down to two words.

Cooper Flagg.

Duke's freshman phenom was sensation in the win with 24 points, six rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal in yet another stat-sheet stuffing showing. The No. 1 recruit has been the No. 1 option for Duke and one of the best players in college basketball right away, and it's shown in the box score, where he now leads Duke in every major statistical category, as Global Scouting noted over the weekend -- making him the only currently Div. I player to be doing so right now. 

That's as impressive as it is jarring. A 17-year-old is dominating for a Duke team likely to be in or very near the top 10 of the AP Top 25 on Monday, and in a way that no other player -- not just freshmen, but player -- is doing so at the Div. I level. 

Flagg's passed every test this season with flying colors save for a late turnover vs. Kentucky in the Champions Classic that might've cost Duke the win. He'll have his biggest test of the season -- and maybe the year -- on Tuesday night in a major spotlight showdown as Duke faces No. 1 Kansas in Las Vegas, pitting him up against star big man Hunter Dickinson and a talented froncourt that includes freshman Flory Bidunga and KJ Adams. It should be appointment viewing, as every Flagg game has been this season.

Key stats

31%: Flagg has the second-highest usage rate among qualifying freshmen this season in college basketball at 31%, trailing only Texas freshman Tre Johnson, whose usage rate through six games stands at 31.2%. Since 2000, only eight other players in the power structure conference have posted that high of a usage rate while averaging at least 17.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game in a season. That list is: DeAndre Ayton, Marvin Bagley III, Ben Simmons, Michael Beasley, Kevin Love, Kevin Durant, Kris Humphries and Carmelo Anthony. 

Giving out an early grade

Five games into the season is a small sample size but it's hard to be too critical of what Flagg has accomplished already as a 17-year-old true freshman playing for the most scrutinized team in college basketball. He's looked every bit the part of the No. 1 recruit and is tracking toward becoming the overwhelming favorite to go No. 1 in the 2025 NBA Draft. Grade: A+

Flagg leads leads Blue Devils over Arizona in first true road game

In his first true road game as a collegiate player Flagg led No. 12 Duke to a 69-55 victory Friday at No. 17 Arizona in one of the premier nonconference games of the 2024-25 college basketball season. Flagg finished with 24 points, six rebounds and three assists vs. the Wildcats.

The Blue Devils jumped out to a 34-27 halftime advantage and held off a late rally from Arizona to improve to 4-1 on the season. The Blue Devils' lone loss came earlier this month to Kentucky in the Champions Classic. Duke has since won two straight ahead of its biggest game of the season against No. 1 Kansas next week.

Flagg played a career-high 38 minutes in the win over Arizona.

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With just over 12 minutes remaining in the second half on Friday, Flagg drove through the middle of the lane and threw down a powerful one-handed flush.

Key stat

24 points: Flagg has now scored double figures in four of his five career games. Flagg scored eight points in 28 minutes during a blowout loss to Wofford last week and responded with a nice scoring effort days later. Flagg's career-high (26 points) came against Kentucky in the Champions Classic earlier this month.

Giving out a grade

The McKale Center in Tucson is one of the toughest and most intimidating environments for any (opposing) player to play in. Flagg's overall efficiency (10 of 22) wasn't amazing, but he did score 24 points — the most of any player on the floor. Flagg held his own against one of the best teams in the country. Grade: A

Up next

Duke travels to Las Vegas on Tuesday to face No. 1 Kansas. The Jayhawks opened the season as the top-ranked team in both the AP and Coaches polls and will enter this matchup with a perfect 5-0 record. Longtime coach Bill Self recently became the winningest coach in Kansas program history following a victory over Michigan State in the Champions Classic. 

No. 6 Duke defeated Wofford 86-35 on Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium just days after suffering its first loss to Kentucky in the Champions Classic. Duke star freshman Cooper Flagg had a quiet offensive performance, finishing with a season-low eight points, but stuffed the stat sheet with nine rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks.

Flagg didn't have to play much in the second half because his team jumped out to a 51-14 halftime advantage. The star forward played all 20 minutes in the second half in the loss to the Wildcats and logged only 13 minutes after intermission against the Terriers.

Despite the loss to Kentucky, Flagg had the best scoring performance of his career, posting a team-high 26 points. Flagg had scored in double-digits in Duke's first three games of the season coming into the weekend.

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Flagg had a quiet day on offense against Wofford, but did record an And-1 bucket in the first half. He celebrated appropriately.

Key stat: 

Thirteen second half minutes: Flagg played all 20 minutes in the second half against Kentucky earlier this week but checked out with 5:41 remaining against Wofford. The star freshman got some well deserved rest ahead of a marquee showdown against Arizona next week.

Giving out a grade

Flagg didn't have to do much for his team to record a bounce-back win at home. The star forward only logged 28 minutes and finished with eight points, nine rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks. Flagg went 1 of 5 from the 3-point line - an area he will need to improve on to take the next step in his development. Grade: A-

Up next

Duke travels to Tucson, Arizona, on Friday to face No. 9 Arizona. The Wildcats are coming off a 103-88 loss on the road to Wisconsin for their first loss of the season. This game will be a rematch of last year's showdown at Cameron Indoor Stadium, won by Arizona 78-73. Arizona is coached by Tommy Lloyd, who is in his fourth season with the program after spending two decades as an assistant coach at Gonzaga.

Flagg right on track in first few games 

Through three games, Cooper Flagg has had his ups (he's averaging a double-double) and downs (poor shooting, cramping). All in all, it's been a fine early debut for the freshman phenom. Taken in context of how other eventual greats began their careers, Flagg is right on track. 

Cooper Flagg vs. Recent Duke No. 1 Overall Picks (Through first 3 Games)

However, keep an eye on how Flagg shoots the ball the next few weeks -- both the result and the process. Here's how Adam Finkelstein, the Director of Scouting at 247Sports and a draft analyst for CBS Sports, assesses Flagg: 

The cramping and the two late turnovers against Kentucky may be what people will talk about, but the 17-year-old had 26 points and 12 rebounds at the Champions Classic. For him to play that well, and yet still have so much untapped upside is what is so exciting. Most scouts assume the cramping won't be a long-term problem. The self-creation is a work in progress, but that was largely expected. 

It's been the shooting that has stood out as a variable that's going to potentially be even more important than expected. He's 3-for-13 from three so far (23%), but more than that it's that his spot-up shots in particular haven't looked particularly good. He's getting almost no lift into his release, versus when he shoots off the dribble or on the move and he tends to rise-up more into that release. 

Having repeatable mechanics is a big part of shooting consistency and so the sheer variance of his elevation into different types of shots creates some uncertainty about the way it could trend long-term.

No. 6 Duke plays against Nov. 16 against Wofford. 

Flagg shines but turns ball over twice late in loss to Kentucky

With No. 6 Duke down by two against No. 19 Kentucky coming out of a timeout with just over two minutes remaining on Tuesday night, the Blue Devils were in desperate need of a bucket after missing six straight shots from the floor. So, with the game hanging in the balance, they turned to the youngest player on the floor.

Freshman phenom Cooper Flagg took the basketball, bullied his way inside the free-throw line and sank a contested jumper over Koby Brea as Brea committed a foul. Flagg made the free throw, which put Duke ahead. It felt for a moment like the game's pivotal play.

But neither the lead, nor Flagg's brilliance lasted over the game's final two minutes as the No. 19 Wildcats edged the No. 6 Blue Devils 77-72 in a Champions Classic thriller. Flagg's 26 point, 12-rebound effort featured many dazzling moments as he played in the first showcase game of his college career. But it also featured some growing pains down the stretch.

Following the aforementioned and-one sequence, Flagg made another physical bucket to tie the game at 72-72. But when the Blue Devils went back to Flagg twice in the final 30 seconds on two separate possessions, he committed two turnovers that sank Duke's chances.

Flagg's skill and versatility shined throughout against a veteran-laden Kentucky team. However, the ending will go down as a hard-learned lesson for the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

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Flagg made his presence felt immediately, as he finished a lob on the game's first possession to open the scoring. It was part of a strong start as Flagg needed just over 11 minutes to reach double figures.

Key stat

20 minutes: After playing just 12 minutes in the first half after picking up his second foul, Flagg played the entire second half. That was a significant development for Duke after Flagg dealt with cramping issues in the Blue Devils' first two games. 

Giving out a grade

While on the one hand, it's hard to knock a 17-year old freshman for such a statistically productive performance in his first game against a high-major college opponent, there was plenty for Flagg to improve upon. In particular, his inability to even get up a shot before committing consecutive turnovers in the final 30 seconds was costly. But the legion of NBA scouts in attendance likely saw nothing that would prompt them to consider moving Flagg from No. 1 on their big boards. Overall, he was great, but the performance was marred by the ending. Grade vs. Kentucky: B

Up next

Duke hosts Wofford on Saturday. The Terriers are coached by Dwight Perry, a former Kentucky walk-on who is originally from Durham, North Carolina. Wofford was picked to finish fourth in the Southern Conference preseason poll and ranks No. 7 nationally in minutes continuity with a deep well of players back from a team that finished 17-15 last season.

Flagg posts early double-double vs. Army

Cooper Flagg needed just one half to record the first double-double of his college career as the No. 7 Blue Devils beat Army 100-58. The freshman phenom had 13 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks and a steal at halftime as Duke opened up a 43-20 lead.

Flagg was quiet in the second half, adding a rebound to that tally in just six minutes as the Blue Devils cruised to a 2-0 start and he dealt with apparent cramps for a second straight game.

There was no need for Duke to force the issue with Flagg in the second half as the Blue Devils owned a commanding lead behind a strong team effort. Fellow freshman Kon Knueppel was impressive again, finishing with a team-high 15 points on 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point range As a team, the Blue Devils made 17 of 38 looks from deep as Tyrese Proctor also made four 3-pointers. Six players reached double figures for Duke.

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Duke had missed six straight shots from the floor and led just 7-6 when the Blue Devils got a transition opportunity by virtue of their pressure defense less than four minutes into the game. Sion James came up with a steal, and Tyrese Proctor led a fast break that Flagg finished with an emphatic alley-oop slam.

Key stat

2 of 4: Flagg's 3-point shooting, which was a welcome sight after he went 0 for 4 from 3-point range in Duke's season-opening win over Maine. His two 3-pointers bookended an 18-0 Duke run in the first half.

Giving out a grade

While Flagg's cramping issues in the second half of both games so far this season is a concern, he's nonetheless looked the part of a college basketball star. For any player to secure a double-double in their second collegiate game is an impressive accomplishment. That Flagg needed only a half to reach that threshold of statistical productivity is a testament to his dominance. It wasn't a perfect performance — a 1-for-3 performance from the free-throw line is worth a slight knock — but Flagg looked great for the most part. Grade: A-

Up next 

Duke faces a considerable uptick in competition on Tuesday as the Blue Devils will play No. 23 Kentucky in Atlanta as part of the Champions Classic. The Wildcats are a veteran-oriented team under first-year coach Mark Pope.

Flagg has solid debut vs. his home-state school

Duke phenom Cooper Flagg made his long-awaited collegiate debut on Nov. 4 as the Blue Devils outlasted Maine 96-62 to open the 2024-25 season. Flagg finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists in 30 minutes before checking out with 3:28 remaining while battling cramps.

The Maine native didn't get his first basket from the floor until 6:25 remained in the first half. But his command for the game was on display early as Flagg assisted on two of Duke's first three buckets. With fellow freshman Kon Knueppel on fire with 13 points in the first seven minutes, Flagg took on a complimentary role for much of the first half.

But Flagg's ability to impact the game without the ball in his hands is part of the allure that makes him the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Here is more from his debut:

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With Duke leading just 35-27 and under four minutes remaining in the first half, Flagg offered a glimpse of the highlight-reel capability that helped make him the No. 1 overall prospect in the Class of 2024. Operating on the right wing, Flagg beat a Maine defender off the dribble, hit the paint and then exploded for a vicious right-handed dunk. The play ignited the Cameron Crazies and offered a glimpse of the electric potential that Flagg brings.

Key stat

Flagg made 6 of 6 free throws, which was a great sign considering how much time he's likely to spend at the charity stripe this season.

Giving out a grade

Flagg looked comfortable and in command, even during a slow offensive start. The Blue Devils were +27 with him on the floor, and he passed the eye test in his first game against a Division I opponent after a couple of exhibitions against lower-tier foes. Flagg rarely forced looks on offense, but he did finish just 6 of 15 shooting. Flagg's 0 for 4 mark from beyond the arc was the biggest drag on his grade. Overall, though, it was a good start. Grade: B+

Up next 

Duke returns to action Friday at 6 p.m. ET when the Blue Devils welcome Army to Cameron Indoor Stadium. It will be the final tune-up before a Nov. 12 showdown vs. Kentucky in the State Farm Champions Classic.

Early flash from Flagg in preseason blowout

Flagg had a nice and-one finish in the first minute of Duke's 103-47 exhibition beatdown of Arizona State. He added a couple of free throws shortly thereafter while accounting for four of his team's six points. From there, it was mostly a quiet day for Flagg as the Blue Devils steamrolled the Sun Devils. He finished with nine points, four rebounds and three assists on 3 of 9 shooting in 21 minutes. Flagg logged just five minutes in the second half as the Blue Devils played their reserves ample minutes.

"I thought he just impacted the game in a lot of ways," Scheyer said. "Of course, his numbers aren't going to wow you or anything. I didn't put him back in the game, so that's part of it. He has this 'it' factor that you can't explain, where he just makes everyone around him better. His unselfishness, when your best player is not searching for stats it has such an amazing impact on the rest of your team. That's what he does. He guards whoever you ask him to. He's pushing the break, the ball flowed through his hands. I thought he had a good game and, still, he's got a lot more in him."

Flagg shines in exhibition debut

Flagg logged an efficient 24 minutes in Duke's 107-56 exhibition win over Division II Lincoln (PA) on Oct. 19. He led the Blue Devils in points (22), assists (6) and blocks (4). While the competition was lacking relative to what Flagg will see throughout the regular season, it was an encouraging first glimpse at his versatility.

Here's what head coach Jon Scheyer had to say about Flagg's defensive performance in the game, via The Devils Den: "He has great instincts, obviously, with how hard he plays. And then, you add in his feel, he's going to make some special plays. Today, he had four blocks. I think he can even add in some steals, preferably next time going forward. But I thought it was good for him. I thought he was himself. I thought even for 'Coop,' he can rebound more. There's so much there for him. And I thought it was great for him to get a feel today.

Flagg earns No. 3 spot Top 100 and 1 list

CBS Sports published its list of the top 100 and 1 players in college basketball entering the new season. Flagg registered at No. 3 on the list, trailing only Mark Sears of Alabama and RJ Davis of North Carolina. Here's what senior writer Gary Parrish had to say about Flagg:

"Any time the consensus top-ranked high school player in the country, who also doubles as the projected No. 1 overall pick in the next NBA Draft, enrolls at Duke, the eyes of the sport will focus on Cameron Indoor Stadium, which is exactly what's happened this preseason. Will Flagg live up to expectations and become the youngest Wooden Award winner in college basketball history while helping Jon Scheyer advance to his first Final Four as a coach? 

"As always, we'll see. But there's no doubting that the 6-9 forward from Maine is a generational talent who can and does impact winning in a variety of ways — from scoring to rebounding to passing and guarding. There's real substance behind the hype. His first high-profile game will be Nov. 12 against Kentucky in the Champions Classic in Atlanta."

College basketball rankings: The Top 100 and 1 best players entering the 2024-25 season

Kyle Boone

Behind the scenes at Duke

Matt Norlander went behind the scenes with Duke during preseason practice. "Get ready, because Duke is probably going to be The Biggest Deal in College Basketball again, potentially reaching the stratospheric levels of Zion Williamson and company in 2018-19," Norlander wrote. "Whether the Blue Devils are the best team, top-10 good or an inconsistent curiosity, coach Jon Scheyer knows this season is going to be evaluated and adjudicated more intensely than his first two. 

"The reason for that is obvious. Cooper Flagg." 

Cooper Flagg hype sets tone for Jon Scheyer's most critical Duke season yet: An inside look at the Blue Devils

Matt Norlander

Cooper Flagg named CBS Sports preseason Freshman of the Year

Cooper Flagg was unanimously voted CBS Sports preseason Freshman of the Year and was the only freshman named to the CBS Sports 2024-25 Preseason All-America First Team. Here's what Cameron Salerno had to say about Flagg's lofty preseason accolades:

"Flagg has generated the hype of being the top-ranked prospect in his respective recruiting class because of his unique skill set that will translate to the college level and make him one of the most dominant players at just 17 years old. Flagg will be surrounded by a veteran Duke squad with national championship expectations in Year 3 of the Jon Scheyer era. No pressure, kid."

2024-25 CBS Sports Preseason Freshman of the Year: Duke's Cooper Flagg leads frosh All-America team

Cameron Salerno