The No. 1 seed Duke Blue Devils have surged into the Final Four for the first time since 2022, defeating No. 2 seed Alabama 85-65 in their Elite Eight matchup on Saturday night.
Duke has dominated throughout the NCAA Tournament, with their closest margin of victory being seven points in the Sweet 16 against Arizona. Their other three wins have come by 20 or more points.
With freshman sensation Cooper Flagg leading the charge, Duke is now set to face No. 1 seed Houston in a highly anticipated semifinal matchup, pitting the No. 1 rated offense in Duke against the No. 1 rated defense in Houston.
The National Freshman of the Year obviously@Cooper_Flagg 🏆 pic.twitter.com/bOhgD9eljQ
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) April 1, 2025
Another one for Coop‼️‼️‼️‼️
🏆 NABC National Player of the Year
💪 @Cooper_Flagg pic.twitter.com/B6P2Tt0X8s
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) April 1, 2025
Ahead of this massive game, Duke announced major news regarding Flagg’s freshman season. The Newport, Maine, native has been named NABC National Player of the Year and National Freshman of the Year.
This season, Cooper Flagg has been sensational. Not only is he the consensus projected No. 1 overall pick in June’s NBA Draft, but he’s also led the Blue Devils in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, and minutes played. Flagg has established himself as one of the top two-way players in the country.
Entering the Final Four, he’s averaging 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.3 blocks, while shooting 48.3% from the field, 37.4% from the 3-point line, and 83.4% from the free-throw line.
Duke has been the hottest team in college basketball for the last two months, and after winning the ACC Tournament title without Flagg, their collective effort makes them a serious threat to capture their first national championship since 2015. If they succeed, this freshman-led Duke team could go down as one of the greatest in college basketball history.
“Another one for Coop,” Duke posted. “The National Freshman of the Year, obviously
