Mike Krzyzewski has seen nearly every elite Duke basketball freshman to come through the program and although he hasn’t coached Cooper Flagg, he knows there has been nobody like him.
Coach K joined Dusty and Danny In the Morning on Sirius XM and broke down Flagg’s game and where he stands among some of the great players in school history.
"Grant [Hill] is the best player to ever play at Duke, [Christian] Laettner is the most accomplished, and we’ve had great players, Cooper [Flagg], in his freshman year, is definitely the best freshman that has ever played,” he said.
It’s high praise for the rookie, but not many can argue with the opinion.
Flagg was named as the Associated Press National Player of the Year on Friday in San Antonino and Coach K thinks he will likely win all the top accolades a player can earn. He’s already won the ACC Player of the Year and the National Freshman of the Year while the Naismith Award will be presented on Sunday.
Krzyzewski did mention that if the times were different in the 1990’s when Grant Hill was playing, he would have a much different role on Duke’s championship teams because Bobby Hurley and Christian Laettner would have been in the NBA rather than college.
“He’s great and is given that role,” Coach K continued. “And he’s exceeded it. He’s not done it – he’s exceeded it.”
"Grant (Hill) is the best player to ever play at Duke, Laettner is the most accomplished...Cooper is definitely the best Freshman that has ever played."
— College Sports on SiriusXM (@SXMCollege) April 4, 2025
Coach K talks to @DustyDvoracek & @dannykanell about how special Cooper Flagg's game is.
🎧https://t.co/YgNNO9W71f@DukeMBB pic.twitter.com/E4DWlisl0I
“It’s a different role than he had when he started the season because he’s developed so much. He’s a great, great player and has, really, an amazing future.”
Jon Scheyer has been asked a lot about his relationship with Mike Krzyzewski throughout the week after replacing the legend on the bench for the Blue Devils and the third-year head coach said the two still talk regularly.
Coach K has been involved with the current players, but Scheyer did not know if he would attend the Final Four in San Antonio on Saturday, but was hoping he could make the trip.
Duke will battle Houston for a berth in the National Championship on Saturday night (8:49 p.m. ET, CBS) with the winner facing wither Auburn or Florida.