Wilt Chamberlain became the first Mr. Basketball USA selection in 1955. He and all but two winners of the prep honor since have gone on to play in the NBA, not counting 2025 Duke basketball recruiting target Cameron Boozer, a five-star forward who is still just a junior in high school but earned the distinction as a mere sophomore last year.
RELATED: Duke Target Cameron Boozer Teases ‘One More Visit’ Somewhere
This year’s Mr. Basketball USA, presented by Ballislife.com on Friday, belongs to incoming five-star Blue Devil forward Cooper Flagg. He marks only the fourth Duke prize to ever wear that tag; that said, he’s the third to do so since 2018 and second of the Jon Scheyer era in Durham.
Of course, Duke’s count could grow to five should Boozer, son of 2001 Blue Devil national champion Carlos Boozer, eventually commit to Scheyer and his crew.
For now, though, Flagg joins fellow Montverde Academy (Fla.) products Dariq Whitehead (2022) and RJ Barrett (2018), plus DeMatha Catholic (Md.) legend Danny Ferry (1985), as the Blue Devils’ all-time Mr. Basketball USA recipients.
Eight of the esteemed 10 panelists voted for Cooper Flagg, a 6-foot-9, 200-pound phenom who ranks No. 1 overall on the 247Sports 2024 Composite and figures to be the centerpiece of the 2024-25 Blue Devils. The other first-place votes went to 2024 Rutgers signee and former long-time Duke basketball target Dylan Harper, a five-star guard out of Don Bosco Prep (N.J.).
ALSO READ: Prime UNC Target Caleb Wilson Says Blue Devils Still Pushing Hard
Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country on SI for more Duke basketball news.