(Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
On April 5 the Duke Blue Devils will face off against the Houston Cougars in a battle of No. 1 seeds hoping to make the national title game.
Duke has dominated its competition in the 2025 NCAA Tournament thus far, winning three of its four games by at least 20 points. The closest contest came in the Sweet 16 against Arizona as the Blue Devils escaped with a 100-93 victory where star Cooper Flagg dropped 30 points.
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The freshman phenom has been one of the best players in the NCAA Tournament, continuing his form from the regular season. As he prepares for the toughest test of the season against Houston, Flagg received an incredible honor.
He was named the Associated Press Player of the Year on April 4.
“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.”
Flagg became just the fourth freshman to win the award in its 64-year history, joining Duke’s Zion Williamson, Kentucky’s Anthony Davis and Texas’ Kevin Durant.
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All four went on to become either No. 1 or No. 2 picks in their respective draft classes.
Flagg leads 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) ahead of a Final Four showdown against Houston on Saturday night.
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