Duke freshman star Cooper Flagg named the AP men's college basketball player of the year

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Cooper Flagg and his Duke teammates were days away from clinching a spot in the Final Four, and the Blue Devils' freshman star was planning ahead.

It wasn't about anything on the court, though. It was to be ready the next time teammates Khaman Maluach and Patrick Ngongba broke out water guns at the cold tubs.

“I'm definitely ordering one as well,” Flagg said with a grin, a nod to the fact that he's still “just being a kid.”

Maybe so, but the the 18-year-old's game has been far more advanced than his age from the opening tip of his college debut. Scoring. Rebounding. Setting up teammates as a playmaker, then aiding them as a defender. He did it all amid high expectations as the potential No. 1 overall NBA draft prospect, the driving force with a relentless competitive edge and mature focus for a team now two wins from a national championship.

It is why Flagg was named The Associated Press men's college basketball national player of the year on Friday, becoming only the fourth freshman to win the award in its 64-year history.

The 6-foot-9, 205-pound forward from Newport, Maine, won a two-man race with Auburn star Johni Broome. Both players were unanimous first-team AP All-Americans with teams at the Final Four, and they were the only two to receive player-of-the-year votes — though Flagg earned 41 of 61 votes from AP Top 25 voters.

Flagg joins Duke's Zion Williamson (2019), Kentucky's Anthony Davis (2012) and Texas star Kevin Durant (2007) as freshman winners. Each went either No. 1 or No. 2 overall in the NBA draft a few months later. Flagg is the eighth Duke player to win the award, most of any program.

Roughly 15 family members and friends came to San Antonio to be there for Flagg's news conference for the awards. The Duke team and staff joined as well, with coach Jon Scheyer watching with a big smile and teammates offering their own fist-pumping cheers from a back row of chairs.

“He plays so hard, he's competitive, a great teammate," Scheyer said after the Blue Devils' home finale, “and obviously his ability is special.”

Flagg was just 17 when he arrived at Duke after reclassifying to graduate early from high school. Yet he has exceeded all hype as the nation's top-ranked recruit, with Flagg leading Duke in scoring (18.9 points per game), rebounding (7.5), assists (4.2) and steals (1.4) while ranking second in blocks (1.3) entering Saturday's national semifinal against Houston.

“I hold myself to a high standard, high expectations,” Flagg told the AP. “Just because I know how much work I’ve put in and how many hours I’ve spent grinding and putting that work in. ... It’s those expectations of just trusting what you do and just doing it to the highest level.”

And he repeatedly did that.

He scored an Atlantic Coast Conference freshman-record 42 points against Notre Dame. There was his highlight-reel transition dunk against Pittsburgh. The big game to help the Blue Devils beat Broome's Tigers, along with going for 30 points in an NCAA Sweet 16 win against Arizona that Scheyer called “one of the best tournament performances I've ever coached or been a part of.”

Cohesive play is the hallmark of this Blue Devils team, the only one ranked in KenPom's top five for both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency.

It has offered ways for Flagg to improve in his first and possibly lone college season as he learned “the level of the details” required to thrive. It was ensuring he got in for pre-practice recovery sessions. Or listening when graduate transfer Mason Gillis and junior Tyrese Proctor pushed the importance of sleep, prompting Flagg to nix a high-school habit of late-night phone scrolling.

"As far as outside expectations, I couldn’t really care less,” Flagg said. “For me, it’s more about following the expectations of my teammates, my coaches, my family. Everybody’s human so I’m going to make mistakes. I’m not going to be at my best all the time.

"But that’s what having great teammates and great coaches does for you. They just always have my back and are always there for me.”

His mother, Kelly, almost envies how her son handles that.

“I think he sees it but he really doesn't let it bother him,” she told the AP. "And I wish I was more like that. He's so comfortable with who he is, and he's always been that way. That's why he doesn't get rattled easily, because he believes in himself and it doesn't really matter to him what other people think.

"That's a special ability to be able to drown out the noise when the noise can be overwhelming at times for somebody like him. I'm really proud of him for being able to do that.”

She and husband Ralph have kept a close eye on how he's been doing after moving to North Carolina for this year while Ace, Cooper's twin brother, completes his final season of high school basketball in Greensboro, an hour away. Flagg said it helped to have family close, including when he visited for a few days around Christmas and got multiple days in the gym with his father and brothers.

“When you are able to step back and just take a break, it can be really good to just get your mind clear and kind of refocus,” he said.

It showed up on the court, notably as he elevated his scoring (20.1 points, up from 16.9), assists (4.5, up from 3.7), shooting percentage (51%, up from 43.8%) and 3-point percentage (.434, up from 27.1) after Jan. 1.

Indeed, Flagg seems wired for big moments when the stakes rise, something his mother has seen going back to his childhood. There was his hatred of losing from early on, such as demanding to keep playing after losing in a driveway game of H-O-R-S-E with Kelly — who played in college at Maine — or a board game like Trouble.

He always wanted to be first to do anything even when it seemed a bit much, such as the family working with eldest brother Hunter to ride a bike without training wheels — only to have the then-3 Cooper announce “I can do it, Momma” and back it up.

When it came to basketball, he tested his parents' nerves by constantly dribbling on the hardwood floors at home. But success came quickly, too, with whispers soon spreading around Maine about the prodigy playing up several grade levels.

“When he was younger, if somebody stole the ball from him or he turned it over or got fouled or did something (wrong), we would say it was a 50/50 shot whether he was going to pick up a crazy foul or he was going to do something spectacular,” Kelly said. “And as he's gotten older, it was more the chances of something really good was about to happen."

Flagg noted multiple times how much he has enjoyed Duke. He has talked about making connections and fitting in with other students he called “elite in their own respects."

That's offered a respite from the spotlight, even as he's featured in ads and commercials as a leading-man star for college basketball with players permitted to profit from their athletic fame. He is now used to requests for autographs and selfies, shrugging that “there could be worse problems to have.”

Flagg has avoided saying he is making the expected jump to the NBA after the season. For now, there are more pressing things to deal with, from the Final Four to ordering that water gun.

“I have to,” Flagg insisted. “What am I going to do? I'm going to be unarmed?”

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.

Duke forward Cooper Flagg, Associated Press Player of the Year, is reflected in his trophy as he listens to a question during a news conference ahead of the Final Four college basketball games in the NCAA Tournament Friday, April 4, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Duke's Cooper Flagg, left, smiles after winning the Oscar Robertson College Player of the Year, awarded by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, as head coach Jon Scheyer joins him on stage at the Final Four NCAA college basketball tournament Friday, April 4, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Kelly Flagg, left, and her husband Ralph, attend a news conference for their son, Duke forward Cooper Flagg, Associated Press Player of the Year, ahead of the Final Four college basketball games in the NCAA Tournament Friday, April 4, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Kelly Flagg, right, and her husband Ralph, listen to their son, Duke forward Cooper Flagg, Associated Press Player of the Year, during a news conference ahead of the Final Four college basketball games in the NCAA Tournament Friday, April 4, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Duke forward Cooper Flagg, Associated Press Player of the Year, listens to a question during a news conference ahead of the Final Four college basketball games in the NCAA Tournament Friday, April 4, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Duke forward Cooper Flagg, Associated Press Player of the Year, smiles during a news conference ahead of the Final Four college basketball games in the NCAA Tournament Friday, April 4, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Duke forward Cooper Flagg, Associated Press Player of the Year, answers a question during a news conference ahead of the Final Four college basketball games in the NCAA Tournament Friday, April 4, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Alabama's Grant Nelson (4) defends Duke's Cooper Flagg (2) in the second half of a college basketball game during the Elite 8 round of the NCAA men's tournament Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Duke forward Cooper Flagg is interviewed in the locker room during media day at the Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Thursday, April 3, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson )

Duke forward Cooper Flagg is interviewed in the locker room during media day at the Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Thursday, April 3, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson )

Duke's Cooper Flagg (2) walks to get on a cart during media day at the Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Thursday, April 3, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

The FA Cup delivered another fairytale result on Saturday when sixth-tier Macclesfield — managed by Wayne Rooney's brother — knocked out titleholder Crystal Palace in one of the competition's greatest upsets.

The teams were separated by 117 places in the English soccer pyramid but Macclesfield won 2-1 which, given the difference in league positions, goes down as the most unlikely result in the FA Cup's 155-year history.

At the other extreme, Manchester City overwhelmed third-tier Exeter 10-1 in a match featuring a goal on debut by $87 million signing Antoine Semenyo.

City tying the record for its biggest ever win wasn't the story of the day in the third round, though.

That belonged to Macclesfield, a tiny club from England's north west that was relaunched after its predecessor, Macclesfield Town, was liquidated in 2020 because of debts.

The team, placed 14th in National League North, is still coming to terms with the loss of its 21-year-old forward Ethan McLeod, who was killed in a car crash travelling back from a match he played in at Bedford Town on Dec. 16. A banner bearing his name hung behind the dugouts at the Palace game and his family were in the stands to watch.

It made for an emotionally draining afternoon for John Rooney, the younger sibling of England and Manchester United great Wayne Rooney, who was at the match working for the BBC.

“We finished the game and then I walk in the office and see Ethan’s mum and dad in there, that’s very special to me,” John Rooney said. “Just knowing they were here with us, and I’m sure Ethan was looking down on us today.”

Macclesfield took the lead just before halftime through captain Paul Dawson, before Isaac Buckley-Ricketts made it 2-0 in the 60th following a scramble in the penalty area.

Yeremy Pino’s last-minute free kick for Palace left Macclesfield facing a nervous six minutes of stoppage time as home fans chanted “Silkmen! Silkmen!” — the club’s nickname.

Macclesfield survived, their players adding their names to the competition's lore.

Fans sprinted onto the field at Moss Rose — Macclesfield's modest 5,900-capacity stadium — in celebration at the final whistle while Dawson and Duffy were carried aloft.

“I didn’t think it was possible but there is that little bit of hope that anything can happen on the day,” said Rooney, who started and ended his playing career as a midfielder with the club and is in only his first season coaching.

“I can’t believe it. We were incredible from the first minute."

The last time Palace played in the FA Cup, it beat City in the final for its first ever trophy.

Palace's dismal afternoon was summed up when U.S. defender Chris Richards did a foul throw in the final minute of stoppage time.

“I have no words for this performance,” Palace manager Oliver Glasner said.

Palace captain Marc Guéhi spoke with the team’s traveling fans after the defeat.

Semenyo was handed a start by City manager Pep Guardiola a day after joining from Bournemouth and was among nine scorers for City. Right back Rico Lewis netted twice.

In a classy gesture, Semenyo thanked Bournemouth fans “for all the memories” in a full-page advertisement printed in the local Bournemouth Echo newspaper before the game.

“He is a humble guy,” City assistant manager Pep Lijnders, who was directing affairs in the technical area as Guardiola served a one-match touchline ban, said of Semenyo. "He brings something to the front line that we really want and we need.

“He can attack quick, he wants to chase, he is a guy who doesn’t stop."

Semenyo's former club lost at Newcastle 7-6 on penalties following a 3-3 draw in an all-Premier League contest at St. James' Park.

Anthony Gordon equalized for Newcastle with a penalty deep into stoppage time. Harvey Barnes grabbed his second goal for Newcastle two minutes before the end of extra time, only for Marcus Tavernier to level for Bournemouth with seconds remaining to take the game to penalties.

In the shootout, Newcastle goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale saved from Bafodé Diakité in what proved to be the final kick.

Chelsea marked new coach Liam Rosenior’s first match in charge by beating second-tier Charlton Athletic 5-1.

Defender Jorrel Hato and Tosin Adarabioyo scored either side of halftime for a heavily rotated Chelsea before Marc Guiu and substitutes Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez added more goals.

Rosenior was hired on Tuesday on a six-year deal as the replacement for Enzo Maresca and joined from Strasbourg, which is part of the same ownership group as Chelsea.

Tottenham completed a miserable week by losing to Aston Villa 2-1.

On Wednesday, Spurs conceded in stoppage time to lose at Bournemouth in the Premier League and some of its disgruntled fans were involved in a row with players, including Micky van de Ven. Cristian Romero also let rip at the club on social media.

Emi Buendia and Morgan Rogers scored for Villa in the first half and Wilson Odobert replied for Tottenham.

In another all-Premier League matchup, Sunderland beat Everton on penalties after the match finished 1-1 following extra time.

Premier League sides Brentford, Fulham, Burnley and Wolverhampton all beat lower-level opposition.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Chelsea's Tosin Adarabioyo celebrates scoring his team's second goal of the game during the English FA Cup third round soccer match between Charlton Athletic and Chelsea in London, Saturday Jan. 10, 2026. (John Walton/PA via AP)

Macclesfield Town's Josh Kay celebrates with fans following the FA Cup third round soccer match between Macclesfield Town and Crystal Palace, at the Leasing.com Stadium, Macclesfield, England, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers, second left, and Tottenham Hotspur's Joao Palhinha, right, clash after the FA Cup third round soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa in London, Saturday Jan. 10, 2026. (Andrew Matthews/PA via AP)

Manchester City's Jeremy Doku substitutes Antoine Semenyo during the FA Cup third round match between Manchetster City and Exeter City in Manchester, England Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)

Macclesfield Town's Isaac Buckley-Ricketts celebrates scoring his side's second goal with teammates, during the FA Cup third round soccer match between Macclesfield Town and Crystal Palace, at the Leasing.com Stadium, Macclesfield, England, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

Macclesfield FC goalscorers Paul Dawson, right and Isaac Buckley-Ricketts celebrate following the FA Cup third round soccer match between Macclesfield Town and Crystal Palace, at the Leasing.com Stadium, Macclesfield, England, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

Macclesfield Town's Isaac Buckley-Ricketts, right, celebrates scoring his side's second goal, during the FA Cup third round soccer match between Macclesfield Town and Crystal Palace, at the Leasing.com Stadium, Macclesfield, England, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

Macclesfield Town's Paul Dawson scores the opening goal, during the FA Cup third round soccer match between Macclesfield Town and Crystal Palace, at the Leasing.com Stadium, Macclesfield, England, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

Macclesfield Town's Isaac Buckley-Ricketts celebrates scoring his side's second goal, during the FA Cup third round soccer match between Macclesfield Town and Crystal Palace, at the Leasing.com Stadium, Macclesfield, England, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

Macclesfield Town's Josh Kay celebrates with fans following the FA Cup third round soccer match between Macclesfield Town and Crystal Palace, at the Leasing.com Stadium, Macclesfield, England, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

Macclesfield Town's Isaac Buckley-Ricketts scores his side's second goal during the FA Cup third round soccer match between Macclesfield Town and Crystal Palace, at the Leasing.com Stadium, Macclesfield, England, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

Crystal Palace's Yeremi Pino and Macclesfield Town's Rollin Menayese vie for the ball, during the FA Cup third round soccer match between Macclesfield Town and Crystal Palace, at the Leasing.com Stadium, Macclesfield, England, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

Crystal Palace's Kaden Rodney, center right, and Macclesfield Town's Paul Dawson vie for the ball, during the FA Cup third round soccer match between Macclesfield Town and Crystal Palace, at the Leasing.com Stadium, Macclesfield, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)