"Duke Freshman Cooper Flagg Makes History as Youngest Recipient of Wooden Award"
Duke sensation Cooper Flagg was crowned the recipient of the Wooden Award on Saturday, joining a formidable group of freshmen who have been recognized as the country's top player.
The 18-year-old Flagg joins the ranks of Texas' Kevin Durant (2007), Kentucky's Anthony Davis (2012), and Duke's Zion Williamson (2019) as the only first-year players to claim this prestigious honor.
Flagg emerged as the frontrunner for the award during the latter half of the season. He boasts an impressive average of 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists heading into Saturday night's Final Four showdown against Houston.
The other contenders for the award included Auburn's Johni Broome, Florida's Walter Clayton Jr., Alabama's Mark Sears, and Purdue's Braden Smith.
Among Flagg's other notable achievements are being named the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year and earning a unanimous selection to the first-team All-American squad.
Flagg is projected to be the top pick in the upcoming NBA draft if he decides to declare.
