Steve Spurrier feels Cooper Flagg should have returned to Duke over NBA Draft

Cooper Flagg is on to the 2025 NBA Draft after locking in his decision to move on from Duke, forgoing another season in college. Former Blue Devils head coach Steve Spurrier wasn’t a fan of the decision.

While Spurrier is more remembered for his time with Florida and South Carolina, he did spend three seasons coaching Duke, from 1987-1989. He’s evidently kept some tabs on the Blue Devils. Spurrier explained his thought-process, and why he felt like Flagg should’ve returned to Durham for another go-round after falling short of a national title.

“The Duke basketball player, Flagg — he went pro. He’s going pro. I don’t like seeing that,” the national championship-winning coach stated, via Another Dooley Noted Podcast. “He was just a freshman kid. What, 18-years old? I know he’s going to be the first pick, but he could play a couple more years of Duke and still be the first pick. But I guess they worry about injury and all that kind of stuff. It is what it is.”

All told, it’s easy to see why Spurrier wanted to see Flagg run it back. The forward showcased his skill over the course of the 2024-25 season, which culminated in a run to the Final Four during the 2025 Men’s NCAA Tournament. Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists over the course of his freshman season. 

Still, being the first player off the board was too much to pass up for Cooper Flagg, regardless of the team selecting in June. He’s on his way to stardom, and Duke fans around the nation will be cheering him on at the next level. Steve Spurrier, as well.

More on Cooper Flagg, 2025 NBA Draft

While Steve Spurrier believes Cooper Flagg should’ve stayed in college another season, that wasn’t the assessment of On3’s James Fletcher III. He ranked Flagg as the top player in his 2025 NBA Draft Board. After weighing the Top 75 players who could hear their name called in June, he came to the conclusion that there was no one better than the Duke star.

“Cooper Flagg continues to show why he is heavily considered the favorite to go No. 1 in the 2025 NBA Draft, making an impact on offense and defense at a high level,” Fletcher III wrote. “The ability to play on-ball defense or help from the weak-side as a forward is valuable in any system. The key to separating himself from the field has been his continued offensive development, including the consistency of his perimeter shot to take pressure off his interior finishing.”

Additionally, Fletcher III predicted Flagg will go No. 1 overall to the Washington Wizards in his latest 2025 NBA Mock Draft: “The Washington Wizards are currently leading the race to the bottom, as teams await the NBA Draft lottery to determine which team will get the right to select Cooper Flagg,” Fletcher III wrote. “At this point in the process, his selection at No. 1 is a foregone conclusion for the team picking here.”