Cooper Flagg admits he has a 'pinch me' moment every week at Duke

Cooper Flagg was the No. 1 player in the 2024 recruiting class and is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Even so, he has to remind himself what a journey this season has been with Duke. Flagg is enjoying a ton of success early on, most recently against Boston College.

At one point every week, Flagg has a moment he describes as “pinch me” to put things into perspective. Playing at this level is something he has been working toward his entire life. Now that it’s finally here, Flagg wants to make sure he embraces it all.

“I think I have a ‘pinch me’ moment almost every week at this point,” Flagg said. “I mean, this was my dream growing up, my entire life, to be in the position I’m in right now. I’m just trying to enjoy it and stay in the moment.”

Being back in New England brought out some emotions for Flagg. His performance showed as such against Boston College, going for 28 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks. One of his more well-rounded performances of the year, Duke enjoyed a comfortable win as well.

Plenty of people filled Conte Forum in order to cheer on Duke. One reporter pointed out fans traveled from Maine’s most northern country in order to see Flagg play — nearly a seven hour drive.

The support means a lot of Flagg in what should be the only college basketball game he ever plays in the area.

“People coming all the way from Aroostick (County) which, I don’t know how many hours that is but I would say a lot,” Flagg said. “It’s huge, the level of support to kind of just see them show up and the support means a lot to me. Gives me a lot of confidence and I’m just really blessed.”

Next up will be a game against an in-state rival, Wake Forest. Duke will continue to rely on their superstar freshman through it all.

Flagg played high school basketball at Montverde Academy, where he was a Five-Star Plus+ prospect. However, Flagg is originally from Newport, ME. He was the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.