“Kyrie Irving is the best freshman to play at Duke”: College hoops fans react as Coach K makes bold claim about Cooper Flagg

Former Duke Blue Devils coach Michael Krzyzewski, aka Coach K, made a bold statement on freshman talent at Duke. In reflecting on the University's basketball greats, the legendary head coach had a clear answer for the best freshman to ever play for the Blue Devils.

"Cooper [Flagg] is the best freshman that has ever played [at Duke]," Coach K said.

Coach K shared his opinion about Duke basketball stars on SiriusXM College Sports Radio. Bleacher Report Hoops posted a clip from his interview on Instagram on Tuesday.

College basketball fans reacted to Coach K's praise for Flagg in the comments. Many argued that the Blue Devils have had better freshman players.

"Kyrie Irving is the best freshman to play at Duke," one fan commented.

"So Zion don't exist?😭💔🙏🏽" another added.

IG users argue about which Duke freshman was the best

"Zion, and it's not even close!" another said.

A comment calls Zion the best freshman to play at Duke

Others clowned on commenters who questioned Coach K's take.

"all of a sudden people know more abt Duke basketball than Coach K😭😭😭" one added.

A fan trolls people who think they know Duke basketball better than Coach K

"They gonna tell Coach K he's wrong"

An IG user judges fans who argue with Coach K’s take

Some agreed that Flagg is the best freshman to wear Duke blue.

"Yep and it's not close, I'm a Duke fan too," one fan said.

A Duke fan agrees that Flagg is the school’s best freshman

"Been saying this," another wrote.

An IG user says they’ve been saying Flagg is Duke’s best freshman

"I agree," one fan commented.

Cooper Flagg, Zion Williamson and Kyrie Irving's accomplishments at Duke

Cooper Flagg, Zion Williamson and Kyrie Irving all had phenomenal freshman campaigns at Duke. Flagg led the Blue Devils in every major stat category this past season, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. The forward highlighted his defensive depth with 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game.

Flagg excelled at setting up shots, shooting 48.1%, including 38.5% from beyond the arc. He helped guide Duke to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and a March Madness run to the Final Four.

The freshman star was recognized both in the ACC and on the national level for his dominance on the court. Flagg was named ACC Player of the Year and ACC Rookie of the Year. He was also selected to the All-ACC first team, ACC All-Defensive team and ACC All-Rookie team.

His 12 ACC Rookie of the Week selections set a conference record, and the forward became the only player in ACC history to sweep the weekly awards five times in one season.

Flagg was a consensus first-team All-American by Sporting News, AP, NABC and USBWA. He was named both the national freshman of the year and player of the year.

NBA: New Orleans Pelicans at Minnesota Timberwolves - Source: Imagn

Williamson led Duke in rebounds (8.9 rpg), steals (2.1 spg) and blocks (1.8 bpg) in his freshman season (2018-19). He averaged 22.6 points and 2.1 assists per game and shot 68%, including 33.8% from beyond the arc. His Blue Devils were a No. 1 seed in March Madness and made a postseason run to the Elite Eight.

Like Flagg, Williamson was ACC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year. He was a consensus All-American and was named player of the year.

NBA: Sacramento Kings at Dallas Mavericks - Source: Imagn

Irving was a freshman at Duke in the 2010-11 season. He led the Blue Devils in steals with 1.5 spg and averaged 17.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. He shot 52.9%, including 46.2% from the 3-point line.

Duke was a top seed in the NCAA Tournament, but the squad's season came to an end at the Sweet 16. Irving appeared in only 11 games in his freshman campaign due to a toe injury, preventing him from fully showing off his skill set for the Blue Devils.

About the author

Lindsey Ware is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over five years of experience working with publications such as The News & Observer, The Daily Tar Heel, Triangle Tribune and Cardiac Cane. She has also worked for Major League Baseball, The Holly Springs Salamanders, The Tri-City Chili Peppers, Tuffy Talk, Super Meteors Basketball, Just Good Network and Living Sport.

Lindsey has a Bachelor’s Degree in Media and Journalism from UNC Chapel Hill. Her education allowed Lindsey to gain experience in sports communication, which she honed in internships. Other than being a storyteller and sports fanatic, Lindsey is also a social media and marketing specialist.

Her favorite college team is UNC, although she grew up a N.C. State fan as both of her parents are Wolfpack alumni. Michael Jordan was a huge deal in North Carolina when Lindsey was growing up, and after a summer spent at UNC’s Sports Journalism Camp back in high school, Lindsey was set on being a Tar Heel.

Lindsey's favorite college coach of all time is Roy Williams. During her time attending UNC Chapel Hill and writing for The Daily Tar Heel, Lindsey was lucky enough to meet and speak with Williams a few times. He was like a celebrity on UNC’s campus and was beloved for his coaching style and success with the Tar Heels, accumulating three NCAA championship titles in 18 years.

When not watching or writing about sports, Lindsey enjoys reading, trying new restaurants and coffee shops, and spending time with my friends, family and dog. She also likes to journal, watch movies and paint.

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Edited by Krutik Jain