Cooper Flagg Notches Most Productive Game Yet

The 6-foot-9 freshman phenom posted 24 points, nine rebounds, and four assists in a 68-47 win over George Mason yesterday.

Dec 17, 2024; Durham, North Carolina, USA;Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) drives to the basket as George Mason Patriots forward Zach Anderson (10) defends during the first half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images / Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Through 11 games, Cooper Flagg has lived up to about as much hype as a 17-year-old playing for a blue-blood school possibly could. He's averaging 15.9 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 3.6 assists with a 50.6 true shooting percentage and 9.5 box plus-minus, the last of which ranks fifth among all freshmen in the country. Being top-five in productivity despite such poor efficiency early on is a testament to just how impactful Flagg is; once the shooting numbers inevitably improve given his high school priors, he should have one of the highest box plus-minuses ever among one-and-dones.

Despite profound finishing struggles (3-for-11 on field goals at the rim), Flagg posted his highest single-game box plus-minus of the season yesterday as he finished with a +18.2 in the win over George Mason, the 76th-best school in the nation, according to Bart Torvik. The regression to the mean in regards to his shooting has begun, as he was 8-for-8 on free throws, 2-for-4 on midrange attempts, and 2-for-5 on threes.

Pair that jumpshooting excellence with four assists, five offensive rebounds, three steals, and a block, and you have one of the best freshman games of the year. Flagg simply erased defensive errors, created extra offensive possessions and assisted to teammates at such high rates that his poor overall efficiency (50% true shooting) did not matter in the slightest.

It isn't like Flagg is a poor finisher either; coming into last night, he was shooting 67% at the rim overall, and over 60% on rim attempts excluding dunks. He just had an off night, but was still able to make up for it with ease as a shotmaking playmaker and monster event-creator.

If that isn't a testament to his versatility and general unprecedence as a 17-year-old in college basketball, then what is? Flagg is one-of-one, and he's definitely met the hype he had coming into this season.

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