Cooper Flagg at Espy Awards appointed the best men's college athlete

Cooper Flagg has taken home another national prize for his dreamlike freshman season at Duke University.

The 18-year-old from Newport, Maine, was appointed men's college athlete of the year on Wednesday evening in Los Angeles 2025 Espy Awards 2025.

Flagg won almost all awards of the year in men's college basketball last season and is now generally expected to have an immediate influence on an already talented team in Dallas Mavericks that selected the first overall in the NBA design at the end of June.

Flagg was not present at the Espys on Wednesday evening, instead in Las Vegas when the Mavericks took over the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Summer League Action. Flagg did not play in the competition after Dallas' Sommer -League ended after two games, a frequent event with top -draft picks.

Flagg had such a good start -up season at Duke that the legendary Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski described it as the best year for a newcomer at school. Flagg led the team in all five large statistical categories – points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks – on the way to a last four appearance.

He won the best college athlete of 2025, Espy, against Wyatt Hendrickson by Oklahoma State Wrestling, Travis Hunter from Colorado Football and CJ Kirst of Cornell Lacrosse.

This is the second year in a row in which Flag gained an award at the Espys, which was announced at last year as the award “2024 Gatorade Male Player of the Year” for high school athletes.

Flagg was also nominated for the Breakthrough Athlet of the Year 2025 Espy, who went to US Rugby player Ilona Maher at the ceremony on Wednesday evening.

Jayden Daniels, now an NFL quarters for the Washington commanders, won last year's Espy for the best men's college athlete for his performance at Louisiana State University.