The Duke Freshman Cooper Flagg star appointed the male AP university basketball player of the year

San Antonio (AP) – Cooper Flagg and his Duke teammates were days away from the location of a place In the Final FourAnd Blue Devils’ first star was planning in advance.

However, it was nothing on the ground. It was to be ready the next time the teammates Khaman Maluach and Patrick Nongba broke out rifles on the cold baths.

“I also command one,” said Flagg with a smile, a nod to the fact that he is always “just a child”.

Perhaps the case, but the 18-year-old match was much more advanced than her age to open his university debut. Score. Bounce. Set up teammates as a playmaker, then help them as a defender. He did all this in the midst of high expectations as a global n ° 1 potential for the NBA draft, the driving force with an incessant competitive advantage and a mature orientation for a team now two victories of a national championship.

This is why Flagg was appointed Friday national basketball player of the Associated Press Men’s College Basketball, becoming only the fourth first-year student to win the prize for his 64 years of history.

The 6 -inch 6 -inch and 205 pound attacker from Newport in Maine won a two -men’s race with Auburn star Johni Broome. The two players were All-American AP Unanimous All-Americans With teams in the Final Four, and they were the only two to receive votes from the player of the year, reporting 41 of the 61.

Flagg joins Duke’s Zion Williamson (2019)Kentucky’s Anthony Davis (2012) and the star of Texas Kevin during (2007) as the first year. Each went n ° 1 or n ° 2 in total in the draft of the NBA a few months later. Flagg is the eighth Duke player to win the award, most of all programs.

“He plays so hard, he is competitive, a great teammate,” said Duke Jon Scheyer coach After the Blue Devils home final“And obviously, its capacity is special.”

“High standard, high expectations”

Flagg was only 17 years old when he arrived in Duke after reclassifying to obtain his early diploma from high school. However, he exceeded all the media threshing as the best-classified recruit in the country, with Flagg leading Duke in a score (18.9 points per game), bouncing (7.5), assists (4.2) and flight (1.4) while ranking second as blocks (1.3) entering the national semi-final on Saturday against Houston.

“I stand at a high and high level,” said Flagg in the AP. “Just because I know how much work I did and how many hours I spent grinding and putting this work. … These are the expectations of simply trusting what you do and doing it at the highest level.”

And he did it several times.

He marked a conference on the Atlantic coast first year record 42 points against Notre Dame. There was her Hollen rereading transition dunk against Pittsburgh. The big game To help Blue Devils beat Broome tigersas well as for 30 points In a victory of the NCAA Sweet 16 against Arizona Whether Scheyer called “one of the best tournament performance that I have ever trained or is a part”. »»

The cohesive game is the brand brand of this Blue Devils team, the only one classified in the first five of Kenpom for adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency.

He offered Flagg for means to improve during his first university and perhaps lonely season, because he learned “the level of details” required to prosper. He made sure that he entered for pre-practical recovery sessions. Or listen when the transfer of Mason Gillis graduate and the junior Tyrese Proctor pushed the importance of sleep, which prompted Flagg not to do the highlight of the end of the evening.

“Regarding external expectations, I didn’t really care,” said Flagg. “For me, it is more a question of following the expectations of my teammates, my coaches, my family. Everyone is human so I’m going to make mistakes. I won’t be my best.

“But that’s what great teammates and large coaches do for you. They always have their backs and are still there for me. ”

Handsome support

His mother, Kelly, almost envy how her son manages this.

“I think he sees it but he really does not let him disturb,” she told the AP. “And I would have liked to be more like that. He’s so comfortable with whom he is, and he has always been like that. This is why he is not easily shaken, because he believes in himself and that does not really matter for him what others think.

“It is a special ability to be able to drown the noise when the noise can sometimes be overwhelming for someone like him. I am really proud of him for having been able to do that.”

She and her husband Ralph kept an eye on the way he was doing after having moved to North Carolina for this year while Cooper’s twin brother finished her last basketball season in Greensboro, an hour’s drive. Flagg said that it had helped get closer to his family, including during his visit for a few days at Christmas and obtained several days at the gymnasium with his father and brothers.

“When you are able to take a step back and take a break, it can be really good to just clarify and refocus,” he said.

He appeared in the field, in particular by raising his score (20.1 points, against 16.9), assists (4.5, against 3.7), a percentage of shooting (51%, against 43.8%) and a percentage of 3 points (0.434, against 27.1) after January 1.

Indeed, Flagg seems wired for great moments when the issues increase, something that his mother has seen his childhood return. There was his hatred of losing at the beginning, as requiring to continue playing after losing in a horse match with Kelly – who played in college in Maine – or a board game as a trouble.

He always wanted to be the first to do anything even when it seemed a little too much, like the family working with the older brother Hunter to cycle without training wheels – only for the Cooper then -3 announces “I can do it, mom” and save him.

Regarding basketball, he tested the nerves of his parents by constantly dribbling on hardwood floors at home. But the success came quickly too, with whispers soon spreading to Maine About the prodigy playing several levels.

“When he was younger, if someone had stolen the ball or he turned it back or did something (harm), we will say that it was a 50/50 shot if he was going to take a crazy fault or that he was going to do something spectacular,” said Kelly. “And as he aged, it was more than the chances of something really good would happen.”

Savor this moment

Flagg noted several times how much he appreciated Duke. He spoke of establishing links and integrating with other students whom he called “Elite in their regard”.

This offered a respite from the spotlight, even if he appeared in advertisements and advertisements as a head star for university basketball with players allowed to enjoy their athletic renown. He is now used to requests for autographs and selfies, shrugging his shoulders that “there could be worst problems to have”.

Flagg avoided saying that he is making the leap planned for the NBA after the season. For the moment, there are more pressing things to manage, from the Final Four to the order of this water pistol.

“I have to do it,” said Flagg. “What am I going to do?” Will I be unarmed? “

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