For the second time in six years, three Duke University basketball players were selected in the top 10 of the NBA Draft on Wednesday night. This prestigious group included the versatile forward Cooper Flagg, the composed shooting and playmaking wing Kon Knueppel, and the raw yet promising center Khaman Maluach, all of whom heard their names called early at the Barclays Center. As widely anticipated, Cooper Flagg was the No. 1 overall pick, joining the Dallas Mavericks. Kon Knueppel was then taken fourth overall by the Charlotte Hornets, and Khaman Maluach was selected tenth by the Houston Rockets, a pick that is part of the Kevin Durant trade, meaning Maluach will play for the Phoenix Suns.

This achievement mirrors Duke's 2019 draft class, where Zion Williamson was the No. 1 pick, followed by RJ Barrett at No. 3 to the New York Knicks, and Cam Reddish at No. 10 to the Atlanta Hawks. The article also notes that Florida had three top-10 selections in the 2007 NBA Draft: Al Horford (No. 3), Corey Brewer (No. 7), and Joakim Noah (No. 9), who had led Florida to back-to-back national titles. While the 2019 Duke trio played only one season, as did the latest freshman group, the former reached the Elite Eight, and the latter made it to the Final Four.

The 2024-25 Blue Devils squad demonstrated exceptional dominance in the ACC, becoming the first team to achieve a remarkable 19-1 record in conference play since the ACC adopted a 20-game schedule in 2019-20. This was the first time Duke finished with only one loss in league play since the 1999-2000 season. Even when Cooper Flagg suffered an ankle injury in the ACC tournament opener, the Blue Devils showed resilience, overcoming deficits, fending off rivals, and ultimately securing the conference tournament title against a formidable Louisville team.

Flagg returned for the NCAA tournament, where Duke, as a No. 1 seed, advanced to the Final Four. However, their national championship aspirations were cut short by a surprising 9-0 run from Houston in the final 35 seconds of their Final Four matchup, which stunned the Blue Devils and eliminated them from the tournament before they could contend for the program's sixth national championship.

More than two months after their NCAA tournament exit, Duke is once again in the spotlight, celebrating their latest lottery picks. Cooper Flagg's selection as the No. 1 overall pick marks Duke's nation-leading sixth such selection, surpassing Kentucky, which holds three. At just 18 years old, Flagg became the youngest No. 1 overall pick since LeBron James in 2003. He led Duke in all five major statistical categories, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game. Flagg was projected as the top pick since reclassifying into the 2024 recruiting class in August 2023 and earned Naismith National Player of the Year honors after scrimmaging against Team USA ahead of the Olympics.

Flagg was supported by a strong cast, including Kon Knueppel, a 6-foot-5 wing who averaged 14.4 points per game and distributed 4.7 assists per game during Duke's ACC tournament run, shooting an impressive 40.6% from beyond the arc in the 2024-25 campaign. Khaman Maluach, the 7-foot-1 big man, is considered the least experienced of the trio, having started playing basketball at age 13. Hailing from South Sudan, Maluach averaged 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game, with an efficient 71.2% field-goal percentage.

Cooper Flagg, as the flag-bearer of this remarkable group, solidifies Duke's standing in NBA Draft history. Beyond Flagg, Knueppel, and Maluach, other former Duke players, including Tyrese Proctor and Sion James, were also expected to be drafted, further highlighting the program's consistent ability to produce professional talent.