There are players touted as the next big thing in college basketball while in high school. Then there’s Cooper Flagg, who was already projected as the first-overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft. And why not? Time and again, he has proven the hype around him correct because he continues to show up and show out.

Even his Montverde Academy assistant HC Kevin Boyle Jr. appreciated the quality because “A lot of times that (hype at a young age) comes with a certain comfort or taking their foot off the gas. He’s definitely not done that.” And he has proven his stature in just one year at Durham. Have a look-

• The freshman spearheaded the Blue Devils to a 19-1 ACC and 35-4 overall record.
• He became the youngest player in NCAA history to post a 40-point game, also breaking Duke and ACC freshman single-game scoring record with a 42-point performance against Notre Dame.
• In the NCAA Tournament, he clinched the East Region Most Outstanding Player.
• He led the Blue Devils to a Final Four in his very first season, dropping 27 points and 7 rebounds to lead the team.
• Flagg has won over 11 major individual honors already, including National College Player of the Year, first-team All-American, ACC Player of the Year, and the ACC Rookie of the Year. And he is only adding more.

On Sunday, a day after Duke’s 70-67 Semifinal loss to Houston in San Antonio, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Cooper as the Naismith Player of the Year. But while the prestigious award cemented his name as one of the best players in college basketball history, it did little to nothing to calm down the Cameron Crazies as the final reverse layup Cooper took with 8 seconds to game not going through the net is still a fresh wound.

While many have won the Naismith without winning a ring, that one missed shot has now defined his collegiate career despite a season-long incredible story.

With the Naismith win, Cooper joins an elite group of only eight others who have received the honor. In fact, he brought the title home after Zion Williamson did as a freshman back in 2019. He is also the only fourth men’s player to win the award as a freshman, joining Williamson, Anthony Davis (2012) and Kevin Durant (2007). Additionally, with this  honor, he becomes the only men’s basketball player to earn the Naismith both in high school and college in consecutive years.

In what would presumably be his only collegiate season, Flagg led the team in all statistics with 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and blocks each per game, on 48% from the field and 37% from three. Also, the 6-9 forward led No. 1 Duke in points (709), rebounds (278), assists (155), and steals (52).

He was also ranked among the top-10 in ACC for – scoring (3rd), rebounding (9th), assists (8th) and blocked shots (6th). Not to mention, he has a combined offensive and defensive rating of 10.73. And he also led the KenPom Player of the Year standings with a 2.736 rating.

After winning the award, he talked to the media, “This is an incredible honor and I am truly grateful for the recognition. This whole year, this (NCAA) tournament, has gone by so fast. It’s been a blur and an incredible year. I have to give a lot of credit to my teammates, Coach (Jon) Scheyer, the rest of the staff and everyone who had me ready to go every single night. They believed in me and let me be me out there on the court.” With this, he left the top contenders behind.

Top Comment by WandaWadder

He is just a kid a child. No need to try and make him feel worse, I’m sure he is...more

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In the finalists for the auspicious award was Auburn’s Johni Broome (18.4 points and 10.7 rebounds with 2.4 blocks per game) who led No. 1-seeded Tigers to a 32-6 record in a grueling SEC schedule—widely regarded as the toughest in 2025. Another competitor was Florida’s junior guard, Walter Clayton Jr. (18.9 points, 4.2 assists, and 3.6 rebounds per game) who now leads the team to their first national championship game since 2007. Purdue’s Braden Smith (15.8 points, 8.7 assists) was also in the finalists.

However, are any of these individual accolades meaningful if the team ultimately fails to perform? For most great players, the answer is no because they chase team’s success over individual. And that’s why Cooper took the blame on himself as he admitted in the presser after the Final Four defeat while holding back his tears, “A shot I’m willing to live with. Thought I got my feet set. Rose up. Left it short, obviously.”

But the Naismith honor, that was something fans also couldn’t agree on. Naturally, fans flocked to social media to share their thoughts as some questioned whether or not Flagg deserved the Naismith after Duke collapsed late.

Fans react to Cooper Flagg being the Naismith POY 

Like mentioned before, Flagg did everything correct, he led the team both on the floor and vocally as a leader. But his final miss that hit the front rim shattered all the dreams of Duke fans. And it didn’t take long for the NCAA community to start sharing its frustration at Flagg’s award.

“Broome should be receiving that trophy. What he did throughout the season against the schedule they played. He is more deserving! But…of course the little boy from Duke gets it,” one fan wrote. While another noted, “Go hand that thing to @w1clayton”.

The ‘little boy from Duke’ jab hints at a perceived bias toward Duke’s prestige, a program with five national titles, over Auburn’s gritty, less-heralded run or the underdogs in Florida. Surely, Broome with his double-double averages against an unforgiving SEC schedule makes a case for himself and so does Clayton Jr. with his leadership, but it is hard to forget that Flagg, as a freshman, did reach great heights in the entire men’s college basketball.

Another critic dug into Flagg’s clutch moments, or rather, the lack of them. “No clutch gene,” they said, probably referring to Flagg’s missed jumper during Duke’s final possession against Houston—a shot that could have made all the difference. And the criticisms didn’t stop there.

One particularly harsh comment read, “Accepting that award after that monumental choke job is nasty business.” For many fans, that missed shot seemed to overshadow all of Flagg’s incredible work throughout the season. But could and should one shot really define the entire journey of a young player who has shown his talents while bringing results?

But not everyone was filled with hate. Some college basketball fans came to Flagg’s defense and pointed out that he was still just 18 years old, facing men much older and more experienced than him. “Sick thing about Flagg is he is ONLY 18!!! 99% of these guys he’s playing against are grown men 23-25!!! I’m not a Duke fan at all, but got to admit this kid is a player for the ages. Legit stud!” And really, that’s hard truth to argue with. If Cooper does return to the NCAA and continues in the same manner, we just might be looking at the next generational talent.

Ultimately, Cooper Flagg’s freshman campaign not just will be remembered for its brilliance but also for its heartbreak. His Naismith honor solidifies his place in college basketball lore, but also twists the knife in a bittersweet reminder of what might have been with Duke.