Duke basketball: Cooper Flagg’s father speaks on ‘close’ recruitment

Cooper Flagg’s father spoke on the Duke basketball commit’s decision. 

Monday morning sent the Duke basketball world into a frenzy when top ranked recruit Cooper Flagg committed to the Blue Devils over UConn and finally put to rest rumors that the Huskies were making up serious ground in race.

However, they might not have been only rumors that UConn was quickly gaining on Duke.

A lot of the buzz started shortly after Flagg completed his official visit to Connecticut and canceled his trip to Kansas, which was the middle of his three scheduled visits.

One of the biggest moments in the recruiting saga was NBA analyst Frank Isola predicting that Flagg would play for UConn next season during the broadcast of a preseason game between the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers.

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When the speculation was finally put to rest on Monday that the 6-foot-9 forward would wear the blue and white of the Blue Devils next season Ralph Flagg, Cooper’s father, took to social media to explain how tight the race was between Duke and UConn.

“I don’t think people will truly ever understand how close it was,” Flagg posted.

The response came from an article from anonymous college basketball insider Trilly Donovan, recapping Cooper Flagg’s recruitment.

“Many people we spoke to following the visit said UConn turned some heads and put themselves in position to close the gap on Duke,” Donovan wrote.

“UConn had done enough to give the Flagg family something to think about going into the visit in Durham.”

Duke basketball able to solidify commitment during official visit

Duke hosted Cooper Flagg, along with fellow 2024 recruits Patrick Ngongba II and VJ Edgecombe, two weekend ago during the program’s Countdown to Craziness and the photoshoot with the entire Flagg family felt like it sealed the deal on the recruitment.

“The Duke staff was very cognizant of the Flagg family’s previously established Duke fandom,” Donovan explained. “They made sure to include everyone in the photo opportunities.”

ALSO READ: Duke shows up UConn during Cooper Flagg photoshoot

Flagg was photographed with his parents, brothers, and grandparents as a few more predictions from notable insiders in the recruiting world trickled in for the Blue Devils.

“In any other situation, with any other recruit, UConn would’ve sealed the deal with the attention to detail they put into this visit.”

Nevertheless, Cooper Flagg will beginning his freshman season as a Duke Blue Devil but for now he will focus on his final year at Montverde Academy (Fla.).