Cooper Flagg's mom Kelly unravels why Duke star refused to go home for the holidays: "My mom heart was a little bit bruised"
Duke Blue Devils swingman Cooper Flagg is having quite the 2024-2025 season with the success he has garnered. With everything surrounding the first-year forward right now in his likely one-and-done collegiate hoops stint, it seems as though he may be preoccupied most of the time.
In an interview with The Athletic, the forward's mother, Kelly shared that her son had missed coming home to his family during the holiday season, opting to spend it in his school with coach Jon Scheyer and teammates Khaman Maluach and Tyrese Proctor.
"My mom heart was a little bit bruised about (Cooper not coming home). But then, I was also super happy and proud of the fact that he loves it here, and he’s having the best time being a college kid. I think, because it’s a short opportunity, he’s trying to get the most out of it."
Flagg's commitment to his team is evident as the Blue Devils are attempting to win a national championship. They last did it in 2015 with former coach Mike Krzyzewski. The forward is expected to be a one-and-done player and is the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft.
Cooper Flagg and Duke bounced back from last week's loss to Clemon with a 78-57 win over the California Golden Bears on Wednesday. They now stay on top of the Atlantic Coast Conference standings with a 13-1 record, 21-3 overall.
The forward finished with a game-high 27 points on 8-for-14 shooting, five rebounds, three assists and three steals. The Blue Devils return to action on Saturday, when they host the Stanford Cardinal. Flagg and Co. will aim to take home their 14th conference win.
Cooper Flagg rests his case as one of the best scorers in Duke Blue Devils' history
Playing his freshman season, Cooper Flagg is averaging a remarkable 19.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. With his current points average, the 18-year-old can reach the likes of Duke Blue Devil standouts Zion Williamson and Kyrie Irving, who were once top-tier scorers for the squad with averages of 22.6 and 17.5 points, respectively.
Flagg rarely ever logs single-figure points in a game for the season, which means he could steadily maintain his average or even surpass it once it's all said and done.