Duke University already boasts the most No. 1 overall picks in NBA Draft history, with five former Blue Devils—Art Heyman (1963), Elton Brand (1999), Kyrie Irving (2011), Zion Williamson (2019), and Paolo Banchero (2022)—having been selected first overall.
Now, that prestigious list may soon grow. On Monday, former Duke standout Cooper Flagg officially declared for the 2025 NBA Draft with an announcement on Instagram.
In a video shared on Instagram, Cooper Flagg called his time at Duke “the best year of my life,” expressing gratitude by saying he felt “so blessed for all the opportunities that I was given.”
The 6′9″ forward has already drawn comparisons to some of the NBA’s elite, with many likening his game to modern legends such as Kevin Garnett and Kawhi Leonard.
Flagg made a major impact during his lone season in Durham, becoming just the fourth freshman in NCAA history to win the prestigious John Wooden Award, presented annually to the nation’s most outstanding men’s college basketball player.
Averaging 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in the regular season, Flagg powered the Blue Devils to their 23rd ACC Tournament title and a deep NCAA Tournament run, which ended in a dramatic 70–67 loss to Houston in the Final Four.
Despite the short stint, Flagg’s stellar college campaign has cemented his status as the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. While top prospects like Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe and Duke teammate Kon Knueppel have made strong impressions, Flagg remains the consensus favorite to headline this year’s draft class.
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