Blue Devil Country

Duke Basketball Recruiting: Blueblood Coaches Drop By for Cooper Flagg

The Cooper Flagg sweepstakes might be a head-to-head battle between Duke basketball's Jon Scheyer and Kansas' Bill Self.

Matt Giles

Duke basketball recruiting target Cooper Flagg (Stu Boyd II-USA TODAY Sports)
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Montverde Academy (Fla.) small forward Cooper Flagg, fresh off a trip to UConn where he watched the Duke football team dismantle the Huskies, heads to Kansas late next week for an official visit with head coach Bill Self and the Jayhawks. Two weeks later, the top-ranked 2024 prep will be on an official Duke basketball visit in Durham.

Those are the only two remaining official visits on his calendar, at least for now, as some suspect he'll announce his decision before the early signing period in November. So it's no surprise that Self and Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer are now seemingly putting the pedal to the metal in pursuing Flagg.

Case in point: On Wednesday, national recruiting insider Andrew Slater reported that Scheyer and Self each checked in on the 6-foot-9, 200-pound phenom at Montverde Academy, which has produced three Blue Devils since 2018 in RJ Barrett, Dariq Whitehead, and Sean Stewart.

As things stand, insiders still paint Duke, which hosted the lifelong Blue Devil fan for an unofficial visit in early August, as the favorite.

Some experts have all but counted out UConn, despite Flagg appearing to enjoy his trip there. But no one is counting out Kansas, given Self's proven penchant for pulling off big recruiting upsets, and it sure seems that Self still sees himself as a top contender alongside Scheyer.

Duke basketball's three-deep 2024 collection, consisting of five-star small forward Kon Knueppel, five-star small forward Isaiah Evans, and four-star small forward Darren Harris, ranks No. 3 in the country, per 247Sports.

The potential addition of Cooper Flagg could equate to Jon Scheyer enjoying his second top-ranked class (and third top-two haul) across his first three recruiting cycles as head coach.

Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country on SI.com for more Duke basketball recruiting news.

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Matt Giles
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.

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