The narrative around college basketball’s freshman class centers on one player entering the 2024-25 season. That player is Duke’s Cooper Flagg, who will be just 17 years old when the Blue Devils begin a new campaign on Nov. 4 against Maine, which is Flagg’s home-state school.
Though he won’t even be old enough to vote in November’s presidential election, Flagg is bearing the weight of a historically proud program on his back after ranking as the No. 1 overall prospect in the Class of 2024. The Blue Devils’ hopes of winning an ACC regular-season title for the first time since coach Mike Krzyewski’s final season in 2022 ride largely on the hopes of what Flagg can be.
Without a single game of college basketball under his belt, the 6-foot-9 forward is already projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and it will be no surprise when he starts showing up on preseason All-American lists. But he’s not going to be the only high-impact freshman in college basketball this season.
In fact, there are five additional top-40 freshmen on Duke’s roster beyond Flagg. Meanwhile, five-star talents and potential NBA Draft lottery picks dot the rosters of other teams around the country. For this week’s Dribble Handoff, our writers are picking the players they think are most likely to challenge Flagg for Freshman of the Year in college basketball, though of course the award will be Flagg’s to lose.
Remember when RJ Barrett was the highest-ranked prospect in Duke’s 2018 recruiting class — but then Zion Williamson, his less-heralded teammate, won National Freshman of the Year? Remember when Justin Edwards was the highest-ranked prospect in Kentucky’s 2023 recruiting class — but then Reed Sheppard, his less-heralded teammate, won National Freshman of the Year?
Something similar could happen at Rutgers this season.
Ace Bailey is technically the highest-ranked prospect in the Scarlet Knight’s 2024…
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