Duke Blue Devils star Cooper Flagg has taken college basketball by storm this season.
The true freshman guard is on the fast track to win the 2024-25 Wooden Award, leads the Blue Devils in points (19.8 ppg), rebounds (7.6 rpg), assists (4.0 apg), steals (1.6 spg), and blocks (1.2 bpg), has Duke at 21-3 and in first place in the ACC—and is the consensus favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft.
But could he stay in Durham for another season? In a recent interview with The Athletic, he floated the possibility:
"Sh—, I want to come back next year," said Flagg. A statement that shocked the social media world.
"I still feel like a kid,” he later answered when asked if he feels more like a college player or a professional athlete. "This is the only way I’ve ever known college. That’s how I see it. I really wouldn’t know how kids felt before, and if this feels different, if this feels more like being a professional. I mean, it’s the same thing for kids in high school, too, getting paid a lot of money. I don’t know. I feel pretty normal."
While a humble proclamation, Flagg made history this past October as the first men's college basketball player to sign an NIL deal with Gatorade, and has continued to maximize his brand throughout the season. His current NIL valuation from On3 Sports sits at $4.3 million—second in the NCAA to only Texas quarterback Arch Manning.
“I always wanted to play in college at the highest level and compete for a national championship," the 18-year-old also proclaimed in an otherwise reserved sit-down. "That sort of thing is what I dreamed about.”
He'll likely have that chance this season as, according to ESPN's Joe Lunardi, Duke is currently projected to be one of four No. 1 seeds in the 2025 NCAA tournament.
While it's certainly possible that Flagg stays for a second season, the odds are ultimately slim—considering how bright his NBA future is. For now, though? The Blue Devils have a game to worry about. They welcome the Stanford Cardinal to Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday, with the 4:00 p.m. EST tip-off set to air on ESPN.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Duke Star Cooper Flagg Makes Stunning Statement About His College Basketball Future.
