Duke Freshman Cooper Flagg Is Headed To The Nba As The Favorite To Be The No. 1 Overall Draft Pick

Duke star Cooper Flagg is headed to the NBA as the favorite to be the No. 1 overall draft pick.

The program announced Flagg's move in a social media post Monday following after a lone college season that saw the 18-year-old become only the fourth freshman named as The Associated Press national player of the year while leading the Blue Devils to the Final Four.

Flagg had reclassified to get to Duke a year early, and his decision was expected all year, even as he generally declined to spell out plans about his professional future as the season pushed into March or mentioned how much fun he had playing in college.

"I mean, it's been an incredible year with a really great group of people," Flagg told the AP in March after winning national player of the year.

The 6-foot-9, 205-pound forward from Newport, Maine, averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals to lead the Blue Devils in each category. He's a versatile threat who showed the ability to thrive as a scorer, playmaker and defender.