Cooper Flagg of Duke becomes 4th recruit to win the wooden prize

Cooper Flagg de Duke is the winner of the 2025 wooden prize, becoming just the fourth recruit in the history of the prize to win the prize.

The wooden prize, awarded each year to the best university basketball in the country, was announced on Saturday on the University of Espn Gameday. Flagg was ahead of Johni Broome of Auburn, while Walter Clayton Jr. in Florida, Mark Sears of Alabama and Braden Smith of Purdue were the other finalists.

Flagg was considered the favorite for the price during the second half of the season, when he appeared to be the most dominant player in Duke sport in the regular season of the ACC and the conference tournament championships and the first appearance of the Final Four program since Mike Krzyzewski retired. He won the ACC player of the year and the recruit of the year and is the clear leader to be selected n ° 1 of the recovery of the NBA of June.

It has an average of 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists before the national semi-final on Saturday against Houston.

The performance of the Flagg Declaration came against Notre Dame in January, when he set the ACC first year record for points in a match after 42 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists in a victory on the Fighting Irish. This outing has highlighted one of the best statistical months that we have seen in recent years, because Flagg has collected an average of 25.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists in January, while pulling 57.9% in the field and 42.9% on a 3 -point range.

@Dukembb Freshman Cooper Flagg was appointed winner of John Rr Wooden Award®, presented by @Main

The live show “John R. Wooden Awards presented by principal” will broadcast on ESPN + Friday April 11 at 8 p.m., HAD / 5 p.m. PDT.@Cooper_flagg pic.twitter.com/xjrfy0eegz

– John R. Wooden Award (@WOONAWARD) April 5, 2025

After undergoing an ankle injury in the quarter -final of the ACC tournament, Flagg missed the semi -final and championship matches – but found its superior shape in the NCAA tournament. He had a great performance against Arizona in Sweet 16, finishing with 30 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists during a victory over the Wildcats.

Flagg is the first recruit to win the Wooden Prize from Zion Williamson of Duke in 2019. The other first -year students to win the Prize are Anthony Davis of Kentucky in 2012 and Kevin during Texas in 2007.

The John R. Wooden Male Prize has been awarded each year since 1977, starting with the UCLA star, Marques Johnson. Zach Edey de Purdue won it in the past two years, becoming only the second male player to win the award twice, joining Ralph Sampson, who won him in 1982 and 1983.