Oct. 30 (UPI) -- Cooper Flagg, the top overall men's basketball recruit for the class of 2024, will play at Duke, he announced Monday.
Flagg, 16, made the announcement in a video posted by SLAM magazine. He also considered playing at UConn.
Flagg, who plays at Montverde Academy in Montverde, Fla., is the projected top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
"Ultimately, it ended up coming down to UConn and Duke -- two historic programs known for their prestigious reputations and winning cultures," Flagg said. "With that being said, I've decided to attend Duke University next year.
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"After I had gone on campus, I really started to envision myself in Durham, N.C.. All the love I felt made me really excited. Seeing all the Crazies and the atmosphere in Cameron. ... I'm honored that I have the opportunity to join the Brotherhood. Let's go Duke."
The 6-foot-9, 200-pound forward from Newport, Maine, will join Isaiah Evans, Kon Knueppel and Darren Harris as part of a talented group of recruits headed to Duke in 2024.
Evans, a 6-foot-7, 195-pound forward from North Mecklenburg High School in Huntersville, N.C., is the No. 8 player in the 2024 ESPN 100 recruiting rankings.
Knueppel, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound guard from Wisconsin Lutheran in Milwaukee, is the No. 22 player in those rankings.
Harris, a 6-foot-5, 180-pound guard from St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Chantilly, Va., is the No. 45 recruit in the class.
Guard Dylan Harper (No. 2), from Don Bosco High School in Ramsey, N.J., is the top recruit yet to commit to a college. No. 4 Tre Johnson, a guard from Link Academy in Bronson, Miss., and forwards V.J. Edgecombe (No. 5) and Derrion Reid (No. 9) are among the other top available recruits.
Edgecombe plays at Long Island Lutheran High School in Glen Head, N.Y. Reid plays at Prolific Prep, a program in Napa, Calif.
The Duke Basketball X account posted "pledge allegiance," a reference to Flagg, on Monday morning on the social media platform. The Blue Devils will start their 2023-24 campaign against Dartmouth at 9 p.m. EDT Nov. 6 in Durham, N.C.
