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Cooper Flagg has not wasted a single second of his first trip to the men's NCAA Tournament.
In four March Madness games, the Duke freshman phenom is averaging a near double-double. Flagg put on a clinic against No. 4 seed Arizona in a Sweet 16 victory that helped the Blue Devils to their eventual 18th Final Four appearance after a win over No. 2 seed Alabama in the Elite Eight.
The former McDonald's All-American is one of the biggest stars in the Final Four this week in San Antonio, where he is looking to lead Duke to its sixth national championship title before heading off to the NBA.
But what makes Flagg's NCAA Tournament run is the fact he technically should still be in high school.
Here's what you need to know about how old Flagg is heading into Saturday night's Final Four:
Flagg, one of the youngest players in the country and NCAA Tournament, is 18 years old. He will turn 19 on Dec. 22 of this year.
Flagg was born on Dec. 22, 2006.
At 18 years old, Flagg should still be in high school. However, the reason why he is playing his freshman season in college this year compared to his senior year in high school is he reclassified into the 2024 recruiting class from the 2025 recruiting class.
Flagg, who was the No. 1 player in the 2024 recruiting class per 247Sports' Composite rankings, announced his decision to reclassify on Instagram on Aug. 11, 2023.
"Why Wait," Flagg wrote in the post.
Flagg has shown no struggle going up against older talent this season, as he has carved up defenses all season in multiple ways en route to winning ACC Player and Rookie of the Year awards, and being named a National Player of the Year finalist. Plus, he turned heads while going up against Team USA in a scrimmage before the 2024 Paris Olympics, and that came at 17 years old.
"That's accurate. We have two guys that are below the class that they are really in, Cooper and Khaman Maluach," Scheyer said on ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show" on Monday when asked if Flagg should be in high school still. "… The way he goes about his business, he knows no other way than to compete like crazy. He's had moments where he hasn't played that well in practice and got knocked back.
"The best part is, he takes full responsibility (for that). There's no fighting it. He will come to me after some practices and say, 'Man I sucked today. I'm going to be better for you tomorrow, Coach. And first off, he didn't suck that day but the fact that he thinks that and comes back with such a killer instinct all the time, he's one-of-one in that regard."
But that isn't the only area that Flagg has impressed Scheyer and Co. this year, as his basketball IQ and skillset exceed his age.
"He has a unique ability in-game to understand what's required to win," Scheyer said. "In some games it's blocking shots, others it is leading us in assists, other games it's getting 30 or 40 points. It's a feel that I don't think you can teach."
REQUIRED READING: When is Cooper Flagg eligible for NBA draft? Duke basketball star top projected pick
Here's a game-by-game breakdown of Flagg's stats in the NCAA Tournament:
Here's a look at Flagg's season stats at Duke:
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cooper Flagg age: How old is Duke men's basketball star?
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In four March Madness games, the Duke freshman phenom is averaging a near double-double. Flagg put on a clinic against No. 4 seed Arizona in a Sweet 16 victory that helped the Blue Devils to their eventual 18th Final Four appearance after a win over No. 2 seed Alabama in the Elite Eight.
The former McDonald's All-American is one of the biggest stars in the Final Four this week in San Antonio, where he is looking to lead Duke to its sixth national championship title before heading off to the NBA.
But what makes Flagg's NCAA Tournament run is the fact he technically should still be in high school.
Here's what you need to know about how old Flagg is heading into Saturday night's Final Four:
How old is Cooper Flagg?
Flagg, one of the youngest players in the country and NCAA Tournament, is 18 years old. He will turn 19 on Dec. 22 of this year.
Cooper Flagg birthday
Flagg was born on Dec. 22, 2006.
Revisiting Cooper Flagg's reclassifying
At 18 years old, Flagg should still be in high school. However, the reason why he is playing his freshman season in college this year compared to his senior year in high school is he reclassified into the 2024 recruiting class from the 2025 recruiting class.
Flagg, who was the No. 1 player in the 2024 recruiting class per 247Sports' Composite rankings, announced his decision to reclassify on Instagram on Aug. 11, 2023.
"Why Wait," Flagg wrote in the post.
Flagg has shown no struggle going up against older talent this season, as he has carved up defenses all season in multiple ways en route to winning ACC Player and Rookie of the Year awards, and being named a National Player of the Year finalist. Plus, he turned heads while going up against Team USA in a scrimmage before the 2024 Paris Olympics, and that came at 17 years old.
"That's accurate. We have two guys that are below the class that they are really in, Cooper and Khaman Maluach," Scheyer said on ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show" on Monday when asked if Flagg should be in high school still. "… The way he goes about his business, he knows no other way than to compete like crazy. He's had moments where he hasn't played that well in practice and got knocked back.
"The best part is, he takes full responsibility (for that). There's no fighting it. He will come to me after some practices and say, 'Man I sucked today. I'm going to be better for you tomorrow, Coach. And first off, he didn't suck that day but the fact that he thinks that and comes back with such a killer instinct all the time, he's one-of-one in that regard."
But that isn't the only area that Flagg has impressed Scheyer and Co. this year, as his basketball IQ and skillset exceed his age.
"He has a unique ability in-game to understand what's required to win," Scheyer said. "In some games it's blocking shots, others it is leading us in assists, other games it's getting 30 or 40 points. It's a feel that I don't think you can teach."
REQUIRED READING: When is Cooper Flagg eligible for NBA draft? Duke basketball star top projected pick
Cooper Flagg stats
Here's a game-by-game breakdown of Flagg's stats in the NCAA Tournament:
- vs. Mount St. Mary's (NCAA Tournament — First Round): 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting with seven rebounds, five assists and two blocks.
- vs. Baylor (NCAA Tournament — Second Round): 18 points on 5-of-11 shooting with nine rebounds, six assists and a block.
- vs. Arizona (NCAA Tournament — Sweet 16): 30 points on 9-of-19 shooting with seven assists, six rebounds, three blocks and a steal.
- vs. Alabama (NCAA Tournament — Elite Eight): 16 points on 6-of-16 shooting with nine rebounds, three assists and a block.
Here's a look at Flagg's season stats at Duke:
- 2024-25: 18.9 points per game, 7.5 rebounds per game, 4.2 assists per game, 1.4 steals per game and 1.3 blocks per game, while shooting 48.3% from the field (37.4% 3-point shooting)
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cooper Flagg age: How old is Duke men's basketball star?
Continue reading...
