Duke’s Cooper Flagg was named the 2025 ESPYs Best College Athlete in Men’s Sports, ESPN announced on Wednesday, June 16.
Flagg was named National Player of the Year by five of the six organizations recognized by the NCAA, taking home the honor from the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), the Associated Press (AP), the Wooden Award, and the Naismith Award. Flagg also swept the ACC Player and Rookie of the Year awards and was Duke’s first consensus First Team All-American since Williamson and RJ Barrett in 2019.
A native of Newport, Maine, Flagg led the ACC champion Blue Devils in points (709), rebounds (278), assists (155), steals (52) and blocks per game (1.4), and ranked among the ACC’s top-10 in four of the five major statistical categories – scoring (3rd), rebounding (9th), assists (8th) and blocked shots (6th). He helped guide Duke to its first NCAA Final Four since 2022.
Flagg was the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, going to the Dallas Mavericks. At 18 years, 186 days old, he was the second-youngest No. 1 pick in draft history behind LeBron James (18 years, 178 days old) in 2003 and was the ACC’s 13th No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick and first since Duke’s Paolo Banchero in 2022.
“On behalf of the Atlantic Coast Conference, I want to congratulate Cooper Flagg on being named the Best College Athlete in Men’s Sports at the 2025 ESPYs,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. “This recognition is yet another incredible milestone in a historic year for Cooper — being named ACC Male Athlete of the Year, earning National and ACC Player and Freshman of the Year Honors, and ultimately being selected No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft. Cooper’s achievements reflect not only his individual excellence but the elite standard of competition and talent across the ACC. We’re proud to celebrate this remarkable honor with him.”