The Duke Blue Devils’ journey in the 2025 NCAA Tournament came to a surprising end in the Final Four after a late-game breakdown led to a 70-67 loss to the Houston Cougars. Despite the game being over a week ago, the sting of the loss still lingers for star freshman Cooper Flagg.
Flagg stood out as Duke’s most reliable performer in the game, putting up 27 points on 8-of-19 shooting. However, he came up short on a potential game-winning shot in the closing seconds. After the game, Flagg said he was satisfied with the shot selection, even though it didn’t fall. “It was the play Coach called,” Flagg said. “I got into the paint, thought I had my feet under me, went up confidently. Just left it short. It’s a shot I can live with. I trust the work I’ve put in.”
Though the loss wasn’t entirely on Flagg’s shoulders, it’s clear it has stuck with him. He revealed that he hasn’t been able to bring himself to rewatch the game — and likely never will — choosing instead to focus on his upcoming decision about entering the 2025 NBA Draft.
“I haven’t looked at any film from that game,” Flagg told The Athletic on Friday. “Honestly, I don’t think I ever will.”
In what might have been his lone season at Duke, Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists while shooting 48.1% from the floor. If he declares for the NBA Draft, he is widely projected to be the No. 1 overall pick.