Cooper Flagg reached new heights with the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday.
The presumptive No.1 pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, less than a month on from his 18th birthday, had the best game of his college career against Notre Dame.
Flagg led Duke to a 86-78 win, scoring 42 points – the most by any freshman in ACC men’s basketball history.
The previous ACC freshman record of 41 points was set by Boston College’s Olivier Hanlan in the 2013 ACC tournament.
Only two other freshmen in league history, both from North Carolina, have reached the 40-point mark.
Tyler Hansbrough scored 40 in February 2006 and Harrison Barnes achieved the same in the 2011 ACC tournament.
But 42 points against the Fighting Irish on Saturday marked a new level of dominance from Flagg.
His final stat line reflected that too, as he also notched six rebounds and seven assists, while shooting 7-of-8 from two-point range, 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, and 16-of-17 from the free throw line.
“I was just out there playing,” the 6-foot-9 star said after his monster performance.
“When I’m in the game, I don’t really know what’s going on. I’m just playing locked in.”
Flagg has long been mentioned as a potential No.1 draft pick, and his every move on the court had been dissected all season long.
After his record-breaking performance against Notre Dame, fans were quick to take to social media to share their excitement for the future.
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“1st overall pick, generational talent,” one person wrote.
“Bro putting up video game numbers,” another said.
“He’s only 18. (Victor Wembanyama) and Flagg about to run this league,” a third predicted, while a fourth suggested his 42-point haul “translates to 50 in an NBA game.”
Other fans were begging their favourite team to draft Flagg, suggesting he would look great in a Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz or Toronto Raptors jersey.
Wherever the 18-year-old lands, he will enter the NBA as a rare prospect who can contribute at both ends of the floor.
“He’s being himself,” Duke teammate Sion James said of Flagg’s 42 point performance.
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“And that’s the magic of Cooper Flagg, being himself.
“He’s not forcing anything. He’s just being a player, taking the looks as they come. He saw something he liked, and 42 points later, here we are.”
