Story by
Cooper Flagg Names His All-Time Duke Starting Five
- Story by
- Cooper Flagg Names His All-Time Duke Starting Five
Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Cooper Flagg has already cemented himself as one of the greatest one-and-done players in Duke history, but when asked to build his all-time Blue Devils starting five, the No. 1 overall pick put together a lineup featuring some of the biggest names to ever wear the program's jersey.
Appearing on the Almost Athletes podcast , Flagg named Kyrie Irving at point guard, JJ Redick at shooting guard, Grant Hill at small forward, himself at power forward, and Marvin Bagley III at center.
Advertisement
"I'm going to go with Kyrie Irving . There's my one… I'll go with JJ Redick … I'm going to go with Grant Hill… I'll put myself at the four… I'm going to say Marvin Bagley. I'm happy with my list. I think that's a solid five."
It is difficult to argue with the talent on that roster.
Irving played only 11 games during his lone season at Duke because of a toe injury, but he still averaged 17.5 points, 4.3 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.5 steals while shooting 53.2% from the field. Despite the limited sample size, NBA teams still viewed him as a franchise-changing prospect, and the Cleveland Cavaliers selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.
Redick remains one of the greatest players in Duke history. Across four seasons, he averaged 19.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting 40.6% from three-point range. He won the 2006 Naismith College Player of the Year award, led Duke to four NCAA Tournament appearances and two ACC Tournament championships, before being selected 11th overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2006 NBA Draft.
Advertisement
Grant Hill enjoyed one of the most decorated college careers ever. During four seasons at Duke, he averaged 14.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.6 assists while helping the Blue Devils win back-to-back NCAA national championships in 1991 and 1992. Hill was later selected third overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 1994 NBA Draft.
Flagg had only one season in Durham, but it was unforgettable. He averaged 22.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.4 blocks while leading Duke to another Final Four appearance. His dominant freshman campaign made him the consensus No. 1 prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft, where the Dallas Mavericks selected him with the first overall pick.
Bagley rounds out the frontcourt after one outstanding season at Duke. The versatile big man averaged 21.0 points and 11.1 rebounds while shooting 61.4% from the field. He earned ACC Player of the Year and First Team All-American honors before becoming the second overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings .
The lineup blends scoring, athleticism, shooting, and versatility across every position. Irving gives the team elite shot creation. Redick provides one of college basketball's greatest shooters. Hill brings a championship pedigree and two-way excellence. Flagg offers modern versatility on both ends of the floor, while Bagley anchors the paint with rebounding and interior scoring.
Advertisement
There are plenty of Duke legends Flagg could have included, including Christian Laettner, Zion Williamson , Shane Battier , Jayson Tatum , Paolo Banchero , and Elton Brand . Leaving those names off only shows the incredible history of Mike Krzyzewski's program.
Even with so many difficult omissions, Flagg's starting five is loaded with talent, featuring four No. 1 or No. 2 NBA Draft picks, multiple national champions, and several future Hall of Fame-caliber players.
