Ranking top Duke freshmen of all-time: Cooper Flagg, Zion Williamson among Blue Devils best first-year stars
When the Dallas Mavericks presumably select Duke star Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft next week, he will become the sixth player in program history to be selected with the top pick. Flagg will join Art Heyman (1963), Elton Brand (1999), Kyrie Irving (2011), Zion Williamson (2019) and Paolo Banchero (2022) as players drafted with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft out of Duke.
Flagg produced one of the best one-and-done seasons in college basketball history, capturing CBS Sports National Player of the Year honors and guiding Duke to the Final Four. Take it from former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, who said in an interview with "Dusty and Danny in the Morning" earlier this month that Flagg is the best freshman to play at Duke.
"Grant (Hill) is the best player to ever play at Duke. (Christian) Laettner is the most accomplished," Krzyzewski said last week on Sirius XM. "Cooper (Flagg) is definitely the best freshman that has ever played."
Flagg has a pretty easy case as the best freshman to play at Duke. Only four freshmen have won Naismith College Player of the Year honors in college basketball history: Flagg, Duke's Zion Williamson, Texas' Kevin Durant and Kentucky's Anthony Davis.
Ahead of the draft next week, here are our rankings for the best freshman in Duke history, starting with the obvious choice that Coach K would agree with.
1. Cooper Flagg (2024-25)Key stats: 19.2 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.4 BPG
Flagg put together one of the best one-and-done seasons in college basketball history. Had Duke won the national title, Flagg would've had a strong case over Davis as the best one-and-done player in the modern era. The biggest question mark surrounding Flagg coming into the season was his offense, and he continued to improve throughout the season.
In the loss to Houston -- which would be the final game of his illustrious college career -- Flagg had a performance to remember. He finished with 27 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three blocks. Flagg became the first player to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks in a Final Four game since the defensive stats became official in 1986.
2. Zion Williamson (2018-19)Key stats: 22.6 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 2.1 SPG, 1.8 BPG
Williamson had a season to remember during his short stint at Duke. Williamson was one of the most electric and hyped-up college basketball players this century. Williamson was known for his high-flying dunks and powerful blocks during his only season at Duke, which helped him become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
There was some talk about Williamson missing the end of the season after his shoe blew out after planting in a game at home against North Carolina. Despite the knee injury, Williamson returned and guided Duke to the Elite Eight, where the Blue Devils fell just short of reaching the Final Four. Duke's 2018 recruiting class -- headlined by Williamson -- is one of the best in the modern era.
Key stats: 17.3 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 1.4 BPG
Okafor was the best player on Duke's last national title team. During his lone season with the program, Okafor showcased his strength of routinely overpowering bigger and stronger defenders. In short, Okafor would've been the perfect back-to-the-basket center in the non-modern NBA.
Okafor scored double-digits in 35 of the 38 games he appeared in at Duke. He averaged 17.3 points and 8.5 rebounds, earning consensus first-team All-American and ACC Player of the Year honors during the 2014-15 campaign.
Key stats: 21.0 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 1.5 APG
Bagley didn't become the star in the NBA that some thought he would be, but his short career at Duke was something to remember. He averaged a double-double (21 points and 11.1 rebounds per game) and helped Duke reach the Elite Eight. Bagley reclassified to join the Blue Devils early to be eligible for the 2018 NBA Draft and looked like a future star.
As the story goes, the Sacramento Kings selected Bagley over current Lakers star Luka Dončić. Bagley was a first-team All-American and captured ACC Player of the Year during the 2017-18 season. Bagley's freshman season will be remembered as one of the best in Duke history.
Key stats: 22.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 4.3 APG
Barrett was part of one of the best recruiting classes in college basketball history. The former No. 1 overall prospect in the 2018 recruiting cycle by 247Sports averaged 22.6 points per game -- the 10th-highest scoring season in Duke basketball history. Barrett earned consensus first-team All-American honors alongside Williamson in 2019.
Numerous players can be slotted here, including Jabari Parker, Paolo Banchero and Brandon Ingram, but Barrett earns the nod. Barrett had a season to remember at Duke. The 2018-19 Duke team is one of the most talented and exciting teams in college basketball history.
cbssports
