SAN ANTONIO – Mark this down just in case. Only five freshmen have ever been named Most Outstanding Player at the Final Four, from Utah’s Arnie Ferrin in 1944, the year before he was drafted for World War II, to Duke’s Tyus Jones in 2015. It just doesn’t happen very often. Takes a special player in the right place at the right time.

"I'm definitely ordering one as well," Flagg said with a grin, a nod to the fact that he's still "just being a kid." Maybe so, but the 18-year-old's game has been far more advanced than his age from the opening tip of his college debut.

Cooper Flagg has had a magical freshman season for the Duke Blue Devils. The 18-year-old led the team to the Final Four, where they will face off against Houston (on Saturday in San Antonio). Via Real Sports: "Cooper Flagg is the youngest player in NCAA history to record 30/5/5 in a tournament game.

The Duke Blue Devils face the Houston Cougars in the Final Four of the men’s NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, on Saturday, April 5, 2025.

Check out our expert player prop bets for Auburn vs. Florida and Duke vs. Houston in the Final Four Saturday night.

Madness is almost over, but three big games remain. Here are our Duke vs. Houston predictions, picks and best bets for the Final Four.

The Blue Devils’ trip to San Antonio, after Saturday’s 85-65 win over Alabama, was the product of years of planning to build around Cooper Flagg, and hard-learned lessons.

The camera sneaked up behind Jon Scheyer as he started the long walk into the Alamodome’s cavernous center, a route that crossed a sea of black carpet and eventually required stairs onto college basketball’s grand stage.