Duke’s freshmen and Cooper Flagg shine in 2025 season

This collection of stories follows Duke basketball’s surge to the Final Four, focusing on the leadership of freshmen and a tough, evolving defense.

Cooper Flagg’s season-long greatness set the tone for a postseason run, while Isaiah Evans’ commitment to growing his defensive game shaped the Blue Devils’ identity. Duke’s hammering of Alabama for a Final Four berth and its ACC championship win also stemmed from freshman impact and defensive responses to key moments.

Khaman Maluach’s late-game block against Louisville and Kon Knueppel’s improved outside shooting showcase the range of contributions from underclassmen. Caleb Foster and Darren Harris are returning, along with Evans, to blend experience and new talent. Duke’s blowout of Baylor and its smothering of Pitt’s high-powered offense underline the team’s ability to rely on both ends of the floor.

Read the stories below.

Duke’s Cooper Flagg (2) drives past Virginia Tech’s Tyler Johnson (10) during the second half of Duke’s 88-65 victory over Virginia Tech at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024.

NO. 1: WHY UNSELFISH PLAY, COOPER FLAGG IN PARTICULAR, HAS NO. 4 DUKE PLAYING BETTER OFFENSE

For the first time this season, the Duke Blue Devils shot 50% or better in consecutive games. What the Blue Devils did while beating Virginia Tech, 88-65, on Tuesday should be scary for the ACC | Published January 1, 2025 | Read Full Story by Steve Wiseman

Duke’s Cooper Flagg (2) celebrates after slamming in two on an alley-oop during Duke’s 88-65 victory over Virginia Tech at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. By Ethan Hyman

NO. 2: CAN DUKE BASKETBALL GO UNBEATEN IN THE ACC? ODDS ARE STRONG; BLUE DEVILS ARE THAT GOOD

Running the table in a power conference is incredibly difficult, but with how well Duke is playing — and how poor the rest of the ACC looks — it’s not out of the question. | Published January 5, 2025 | Read Full Story by Steve Wiseman

Duke’s Cooper Flagg (2) heads to slam in two as he is fouled by Pittsburgh’s Guillermo Diaz Graham (25) during Duke’s 76-47 victory over Pitt at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.

NO. 3: DEFENSE DOES IT AGAIN: 3 TAKEAWAYS FROM DUKE BASKETBALL’S BIG ACC WIN OVER PITTSBURGH

The Blue Devils’ dominant defense was again on point against Pittsburgh, and freshmen Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel were active on offense. | Published January 8, 2025 | Read Full Story by Steve Wiseman

Duke’s Khaman Maluach (9) holds up the championship trophy after Duke’s 73-62 victory over Louisville in the finals of the 2025 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, March 15, 2025. By Ethan Hyman

NO. 4: DUKE’S SECOND-HALF SURGE PUSHES BLUE DEVILS PAST LOUISVILLE FOR 23RD ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

Playing without star freshman Cooper Flagg, Duke turned a five-point halftime deficit around in a hurry in the second half to claim another ACC Tournament title with a 73-62 win over Louisville. | Published March 16, 2025 | Read Full Story by Alex Zietlow

Duke’s Khaman Maluach (9) slams in two during the second half of Duke’s 89-66 victory over Baylor in the second round of the 2025 NCAA men’s basketball championship at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C., Sunday, March 23, 2025. By Ethan Hyman

NO. 5: DUKE DOMINANT: TOP-SEEDED BLUE DEVILS RUN AWAY FROM NO. 9 BAYLOR TO REACH NCAA SWEET 16

A late first-half surge was enough separation for No. 1 Duke, which got 18 points from Cooper Flagg and 25 from Tyrese Proctor on its way to a second-round win over Baylor in Raleigh. | Published March 23, 2025 | Read Full Story by Steve Wiseman

Duke’s Khaman Maluach (9) slams in two during Duke’s 100-93 victory over Arizona in the Sweet 16 round of the 2025 Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., Thursday, March 27, 2025. By Ethan Hyman

NO. 6: AT THE END OF A LONG SEASON, DUKE’S FRESHMEN ARE ALL GROWN UP, AND LEADING THE WAY

After a hard-fought 100-93 win over Arizona in the Sweet 16, it was hard to see any difference between Duke’s star freshmen and their veteran mentors. Young and old have merged in the middle. | Published March 28, 2025 | Read Full Story by Luke DeCock

Duke coach Jon Scheyer celebrates with his team after their 85-65 victory over Alabama on Saturday, March 29, 2025 during the NCAA East Regional final at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. By Robert Willett

NO. 7: PHOTOS: DUKE DEFEATS ALABAMA 85-65 AND HEADS TO NCAA FINAL FOUR

See action photos from the Blue Devils and the Crimson Tide playing in the NCAA Men’s Elite 8 | Published March 30, 2025 | Read Full Story by Ethan Hyman Robert Willett

Duke’s Isaiah Evans (3) points back to Cooper Flagg after Evans hit a three-pointer on a pass from Flagg during the second half of Duke’s 100-65 victory over Florida State at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., Saturday, March 1, 2025. By Ethan Hyman

NO. 8: DUKE BASKETBALL GETS ANSWER ABOUT 3-POINT SHARPSHOOTER ISAIAH EVANS’ FUTURE

With Duke basketball needing to replace the entire starting five, Isaiah Evans factors in as a major part of the plans. | Published April 22, 2025 | Read Full Story by Steve Wiseman

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.