DURHAM, N.C. – Duke freshman Cooper Flagg may be the most hyped player to take the court at Cameron Indoor Stadium since Zion Williamson, but the impression he made in his first weeks on campus with the Blue Devils said Coach Jon Scheyer: is that he’s just one of the guys.

Flagg, the nation’s No. 1 overall recruit, was lauded as a high school player for iconic moments in All-Star games and YouTube highlights, but as the Blue Devils open the 2024-25 season on Oct. 19, Scheyer said Flagg has done his best to escape the hype and face the competition.

“I’ve seen a lot of different seasons, different hypes, different expectations,” Scheyer said. “And with Cooper, I don’t know if we’ve ever had a 17-year-old that got so much hype and attention. We talk about all the things we can control and that’s what we focus on. Cooper, I don’t.” I don’t think he likes all the attention, to be honest. All he cares about is being like the others – he wants to win, wants to keep up. And he’s done a great job with it all.”

Flagg, who spoke at Duke’s team media day on Friday, said he took a lot of selfies with fans and enjoyed the experience of being on campus, especially since classes started and he had more time with students outside of the basketball team to interact.

“There are always eyes everywhere. When I got here, some of the students were kind of freaking out,” Flagg said. “But it’s a compliment that shows all the hard work you’ve put in and people want to see you and support you.”

The Blue Devils have six true freshmen on the roster this year, including Flagg, who were all ranked among the top 40 prospects in the country. One of those freshmen, center Patrick Ngongba, will miss the start of the season because of a foot injury, the school announced Friday. There is no timetable for Ngongba’s return.

“He had foot injuries throughout his high school career and we are still in the process of getting him back to 100 percent health,” Scheyer said of Ngongba, who was wearing a walking boot Friday. “It’s not about what he did. It’s just a matter of getting him 100 percent productive on the pitch, where he can move completely pain-free and also get back to the level of player he can be. This is him. “I’m going to be a great player for us.

Flagg was originally a member of Duke’s 2025 recruiting class but was reclassified to join the team this season. He comes with impressive high school accolades, including being named Gatorade National Player of the Year, Naismith Player of the Year and a McDonald’s All American graduate. He was USA Basketball’s youngest Athlete of the Year in 2022, making him the youngest ever to win the award. This offseason, he trained with the U.S. Basketball Men’s National Team as it prepared for the Paris Olympics.

What underscores all of this, Scheyer said, is the relentless competitiveness that characterized Flagg in his early days at Duke.

“His competitiveness is all the time, he doesn’t switch on and off how hard he works,” Scheyer said. “This is outstanding. Every day he was here he fought as hard as he could.”

Still, Scheyer said he learned from coaching Williamson and other highly touted Duke freshmen that the road to the NBA won’t be without setbacks, and he’s prepared Flagg for that as the season approaches.

“He’s 17. He’s going to go through a lot,” Scheyer said. “That’s part of it. But growing as a player is the reason he came to Duke. I want him to have fun this year.”

Flagg said he leaned on some of Duke’s veterans as he got his feet wet in Durham.

“Not every day is going to be perfect,” Flagg said. “Not every day will be a good day for you. I will have bad days. My teammates have been through this, so leaning on them and asking them for strategies helped me find a rhythm.”

“There are always eyes everywhere. When I got here, some of the students had kind of gone crazy. But it’s a compliment that shows all the hard work you’ve put in and people want to see you and support you.”

Cooper Flag

These teammates were also impressed.

Purdue transfer Mason Gillis said he knew the hype surrounding Flagg and was cautious at first, but he was amazed at how down-to-earth Flagg actually was when they met.

Syracuse transfer Maliq Brown said Flagg’s maturity goes far beyond his years.

“His mentality and attitude is not that of a 17-year-old,” Brown said. “The things that are thrown at him, seeing his face on social media and everywhere he goes is unbelievable. The things he says, the way he is on the pitch, you don’t expect that from a 17-year-old. He definitely lives up to the hype.