When is Cooper Flagg eligible for NBA draft? Duke basketball star top projected pick
(This story was updated with new information. A previous version of this file was published ahead of Duke's game on Saturday vs. Alabama.)
By now it has been well documented that Cooper Flagg is a once-in-a-generation player.
The latest reminder of that was the clinic the freshman phenom guard put on in top-seeded Duke basketball's Sweet 16 win over No. 4 seed Arizona in the NCAA Tournament: Flagg took over the game in all aspects while making up March Madness history.
As noted by Paste BN's Paul Myerberg, Flagg became the first player since former Marquette guard Dwyane Wade in 2003 to score at least 25 points with at least five rebounds, five assists and three blocks in a March Madness game against Arizona.
It was also a performance that reaffirmed why the freshman phenom is ready for the next level and a future franchise-shifting player in the NBA.
Flagg helped Duke punch its ticket to the Final Four for the first time since Mike Krzyzewski's last season in 2022 on Saturday with 16 points on 6 of 16 shooting from the field in the Blue Devils' 85-65 win over No. 2 seed Alabama in the Elite Eight of the East Region.
With that said, when is Flagg eligible for the NBA draft? Here's what you need to know, including a look at his latest NBA mock drafts and more:
When is Cooper Flagg eligible for the NBA draft?
Flagg is eligible for the NBA draft after the conclusion of Duke's season.
The NBA has a "one-and-one draft" eligibility status for college freshmen — something that is different from the draft eligibility status for the NBA's professional sports league competitors, such as the NFL and MLB.
Per the NBA's current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA):
"The player (A) is or will be at least nineteen (19) years of age during the calendar year in which the Draft is held, and (B) with respect to a player who is not an “international player” (defined below), at least one (1) NBA Season has elapsed since the player’s graduation from high school (or, if the player did not graduate from high school, since the later of the graduation of the class with which the player would have graduated based on the high school class he was in when he (i) first enrolled in high school, or (ii) was last enrolled in high school)."
Will Cooper Flagg stay at Duke?
No, Flagg is expected to declare for the 2025 NBA draft after Duke's season.
Duke coach Jon Scheyer reaffirmed Flagg's plans on Wednesday at the Prudential Center in a news conference ahead of the Blue Devils' Sweet 16 game vs. Arizona.
"That's news to me that people are still talking about that. I didn't know that," Scheyer said when asked about ongoing conversations that Flagg might consider returning to Duke.
He added: "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."
Is Cooper Flagg a senior?
No, Flagg is a true freshman for Duke.
Cooper Flagg NBA mock drafts
Here's a look at where some NBA draft analysts have Flagg going in the upcoming NBA draft:
- CBS Sports' Adam Finkelstein (as of March 27): No. 1 overall to the Washington Wizards
- Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Conner (as of March 26): No. 1 overall to the Wizards
- ESPN (as of March 13): No. 1 overall to the Wizards
- Paste BN (as of March 13): No. 1 overall to the Wizards
Cooper Flagg stats
Flagg entered Saturday's Elite Eight game leading Duke in every statistical category, including points (19.0), rebounds game (7.5), assists (4.3), steals (1.4) and blocks (1.3) per game. He is also shooting 48.7% from the field.
Here's a breakdown of Flagg's game logs from the NCAA Tournament:
- vs. Mount St. Mary's (NCAA Tournament — First Round): 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting (1 of 3 3-point shooting)
- vs. Baylor (NCAA Tournament — Second Round): 18 points on 5-of-11 shooting (1 of 4 3-point shooting) with nine rebounds, six assists and a block
- vs. Arizona (NCAA Tournament — Sweet 16): 30 points on 9-of-19 shooting (3 of 5 3-point shooting) with seven assists, six rebounds, three blocks and a steal
- vs. Alabama (NCAA Tournament — Elite Eight): 16 points on 6-of-16 shooting (1 of 3 3-point shooting) with nine rebounds, three assists and a block
Here's a look at Flagg's stats this season at Duke entering Saturday:
- Points: 19.0
- Rebounds: 7.5
- Assists: 4.3
- Blocks: 1.3
- Steals: 1.4
- Field-goal shooting: 48.7
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