Duke's Cooper Flagg becomes rare freshman to win Wooden Award
Apr 4, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Cooper Flagg (2) during a practice session for the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Duke star Cooper Flagg was named winner of the Wooden Award on Saturday, joining a strong cast of freshmen to be named the nation's top player.
The 18-year-old Flagg joins Texas' Kevin Durant (2007), Kentucky's Anthony Davis (2012) and Duke's Zion Williamson (2019) as the only freshmen to win the coveted honor.
Flagg emerged as the favorite for the award over the second half of the season. He's averaging 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists entering Saturday night's Final Four contest against Houston.
The other finalists were Auburn's Johni Broome, Florida's Walter Clayton Jr., Alabama's Mark Sears and Purdue's Braden Smith.
Among Flagg's other accolades are being named Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year as well as being a consensus first-team All-American.
Flagg is expected to be the No. 1 choice in the NBA draft if he chooses to enter his name.
--Field Level Media
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