Cooper Flagg has taken home yet another national award for his dream-like freshman season at Duke University.
The 18-year-old from Newport, Maine, was named men’s college athlete of the year at ESPN’s 2025 ESPY awards Wednesday night in Los Angeles.
Flagg won nearly all of the player-of-the-year honors in men’s college basketball this past season, and is now widely expected to have an immediate impact on an already-talented Dallas Mavericks team that selected him first overall in the NBA draft in late June.
Flagg was not in attendance at the ESPYs Wednesday night, instead in Las Vegas as the Mavericks took on the Philadelphia 76ers in NBA Summer League action. Flagg did not play in the contest following Dallas’ decision to end his Summer League run after two games, a common occurrence with top draft picks.
Flagg had such a good freshman season at Duke that legendary Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski called it the best year for a freshman ever at the school. Flagg led the team in all five major statistical categories — points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks — en route to a Final Four appearance.
He won the 2025 men’s best college athlete ESPY over fellow nominees Wyatt Hendrickson of Oklahoma State wrestling, Travis Hunter of Colorado football and CJ Kirst of Cornell lacrosse.
This is the second straight year that Flagg has won an award at the ESPYs, announced as the 2024 Gatorade Male Player of the Year Award for high school athletes at last year’s event.
Flagg was also nominated for the 2025 breakthrough athlete of the year ESPY, which went to U.S. women’s rugby player Ilona Maher at Wednesday night’s ceremony.
Jayden Daniels, now an NFL quarterback for the Washington Commanders, won last year’s ESPY for best men’s college athlete for his performance at Louisiana State University.
