Jon Scheyer on Cooper Flagg's future at Duke: 'Cooper is about to move on with something incredibly special'

Cooper Flagg has been atop 2025 NBA Draft boards since before his freshman season at Duke began, and that hasn’t changed as the star forward has performed as advertised since arriving on campus. However, that hasn’t stopped speculation surrounding a potential sophomore season in Durham.

After all, Flagg has stated in the past that he loves Duke and even stated that he would “want to come back next year.” According to Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer, however, all signs appear to point toward him taking that next step forward in his basketball career.

“That’s news to me that people are still talking about that. I didn’t know that,” Scheyer said ahead of Duke’s Sweet 16 matchup vs. Arizona. “I’ll say this, and this is aside from Cooper, because Cooper is about to move on with something incredibly special with the next step he’s going to go after this. But happiness doesn’t necessarily equate to just becoming a pro or just making money, although they’re making money either way now.

“But I think it’s important for guys to — each guy is their own individual, so I think depending on the situation, guys should make the decisions for themselves. But Cooper’s thing is different. Cooper’s thing is that’s said, and that’s going to happen, as it should.”

If Flagg does turn pro, then he’s playing his final games in a Duke uniform ahead of the Sweet 16. However, what Flagg has been able to accomplish during his short time in Durham has made his mark on the program, and isn’t soon to be forgotten by the Blue Devils’ faithful.

Flagg leads Duke in points (18.7), rebounds (7.5), assists (4.2), steals (1.4) and blocks (1.3) per game. He’s also made his mark on the NCAA Tournament as well. In Duke’s Round of 32 win over Baylor, Flagg’s fingerprints were all over the court. He finished the game with 18 points, nine rebounds, six assists and a block as his team cruised to an 89-66 victory.

Heading into the Sweet 16, Duke has beat its first two NCAA Tournament opponents by an average of 33.5 points on a 91 points per game average. Set to do battle against the Arizona Wildcats in the third round, all eyes will be on Flagg to perform in front of the bright lights with a spot in the Elite Eight on the line.

Tip-off between the Blue Devils and Wildcats is scheduled for Thursday, March 27 at 9:39 p.m. ET and will air live on CBS. Duke is currently a 9.5-point favorite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.