Duke Academy freshman Cooper Flagg has won the Oscar Robertson Trophy and Wayman Tisdale Award, honors given by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association to the best men’s college basketball player and top freshmen, respectively.
Earlier in March, Flagg became the fourth player ever in the Atlantic Coast Conference to be named both ACC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year.
Flagg is just the fourth NCAA player to win both the Oscar Robertson Trophy and Wayman Tisdale Award during the same season, joining former Duke University power forward Zion Williamson who was awarded the honors in the 2018-19 season. The U.S. Basketball Writers Association announced the awards Tuesday.
The two other players to win both honors during the same season were Kentucky’s Anthony Davis (2012) and Texas’ Kevin Durant (2007).
Flagg is the sixth Duke player to win the Oscar Robertson Trophy, ninth to win the USBWA’s Player of the Year honor, fifth to win the Wayman Tisdale Award and sixth National Freshman of the Year honoree.
Throughout his first, and likely only, NCAA season, Flagg has led Duke in points (18.9), rebounds (7.5), assists (4.1), steals (1.5), blocks (1.3), total field goals (205) and free throws made (151) during the regular season.
Flagg will be recognized at the Men’s Final Four in San Antonio in April, and will be presented with the awards on April 17 at the USBWA Awards Dinner at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis.
The Oscar Robertson Award, named after the former professional point guard, is awarded based on regular season performance. The Wayman Tidsdale Award is named for the late player, a three-time USBWA All-American at Oklahoma and a 12-year NBA veteran.
Flagg and the first-seeded Blue Devils take on fourth-seed Arizona University at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, at 9:39 p.m. Thursday.
