As many have this season, an ESPN analyst commended Duke Blue Devils’ Cooper Flagg for his play this season, citing the freshman’s immense impact on all aspects of the game.
Seth Greenberg Lauds Cooper Flagg For His Dominant Freshman Season
Cooper Flagg has been terrific for the Duke Blue Devils all season long. Although he suffered an ankle injury in the Blue Devils’ quarterfinal matchup on Thursday against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets that may sideline him for some time, it shouldn’t take away from the magnificent freshman season he’s had.
During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, ESPN college basketball analyst Seth Greenberg was the latest to sing the praises of the Duke freshman.
“He’s an absolute monster,” Greenberg said, referencing Flagg. “He’s a freak. I mean, he impacts the game every single time.”
“Duke has really separated themselves in the ACC and what Jon Scheyer has done is pretty amazing..
He put this team together and he’s doing it his own way” ~ @SethOnHoops #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/7htW1dliJ2
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 13, 2025
Case in point: Flagg finished the regular season with the team lead in every single major stat category.
What fans may see the most is his scoring, which, at 19.4 ppg and with a career-high of 42 points earlier in the season, is pretty good, to say the least.
But other aspects of his game raise the ceiling for his potential and Duke’s title chances, assuming he’s able to come back from injury before the end of the season.
He has an innate ability to create for others, as evidenced by his 4.2 apg. Head coach Jon Scheyer seems to have full confidence in Flagg’s ability to take over the offense, know the right moments to pass it to others and find his own shot.
The Maine native also rebounds the ball especially well, considering his slight 205-pound frame. Helped by his 6’9″ length, Flagg shows a willingness to mix it up down low and crash for rebounds.
Outside of all of his additive offensive skills, he may make the biggest impact on the defensive end of the floor.
He’s easily one of the best defenders in college basketball while expending a maximum amount of energy on both sides of the court — a skill and willfulness not seen by many players, if at all. But Flagg exemplifies that, exerting his full effort on defense and manufacturing highlight-reel blocks and breakaway steaks while also being a terrific team defender.
His high basketball IQ allows him to seemingly always be in the right spot at the right time, which is extremely spectacular when you consider he’s only 18 years old.
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In all, Greenberg’s words are spot on through the statistics and the eye test.
Flagg’s injury will undoubtedly hamper the Blue Devils during his likely absence. Just how long that absence will be has yet to be determined, but if he’s able to come back before the end of the season, he’ll continue to put fear in opponents’ minds.
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