First Look at Duke Basketball Newcomer Cooper Flagg in Practice

The Duke basketball social media team has teased more highlights to come from the 2024-25 Blue Devils' first workouts this week.

Matt Giles | Jun 19, 2024

Duke basketball freshmen Patrick Ngongba II and Cooper Flagg / Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

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Duke Blue Devils

Duke basketball is officially back at it, with the 2024-25 Blue Devils on campus and working out together as a complete unit in the program's practice facility. That means it's now time for the published official roster, which popped up on GoDuke.com this week, and posted highlight videos on social media.

Before delighting Duke basketball fans with some individual clips from practice, the social media team prepared its followers for the much-needed doses of offseason entertainment by asking a simple question with an undoubtedly obvious answer: "Should we drop a quick highlight of each player from yesterday's first team workout?"

Not long after, highlights appeared as promised.

Although the cast of hoopsters is deep for Jon Scheyer's third season as head coach in Durham, one talent is arguably the most anticipated Blue Devil since the arrival of Zion Williamson & Co. for the thrilling 2018-19 Duke basketball campaign. That centerpiece, of course, is five-star freshman forward Cooper Flagg, No. 1 overall on the 247Sports 2024 Composite.

Sure, the following is just a 35-second preview. And it's not as though the 6-foot-9, 205-pound long-limbed phenom's prep highlights haven't been readily available pretty much everywhere for years.

First Look 👀 ---> @Cooper_Flagg 👿🚧🚧🏗️🧱 pic.twitter.com/88ci5FtSaZ
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) June 19, 2024

Nevertheless, as the post notes, it's the "First Look" at the 17-year-old gym rat working on his game while wearing his Duke basketball practice jersey at his new home in Durham.

Maine native Cooper Flagg and Scheyer's Blue Devils, including five fellow heralded freshmen alongside a promising mix of returning starters and experienced transfers, begin their campaign at home against Maine on Nov. 4.

Published Jun 19, 2024

MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of Duke Blue Devils on SI, North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining SI in 2022, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.