The national player of the week honor for men’s college basketball in Week 10 has been awarded to Cooper Flagg from Duke University.
At just 18 years of age, this freshman forward has made history in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) by securing the prestigious accolade for the second time this season as third-ranked Duke continues its successful run.
Flagg delivered an outstanding performance on Saturday, scoring an impressive 42 points in Duke’s matchup against Notre Dame, a feat that established a new ACC record for points scored by a freshman in a single game.
He showcased exceptional shooting skills by successfully making 11 out of 14 field goals, 4 of 6 from beyond the arc, and 16 out of 17 free throw attempts. Furthermore, the 16 free throws made marked a new record for a freshman at Duke.
This scoring output stands as the highest for any Blue Devils player since Danny Ferry’s remarkable 58-point game against Miami back in December 1988, and it was the greatest by a Duke player at Cameron Indoor Stadium since 1976.
Besides his scoring frenzy, Flagg contributed significantly with six rebounds and seven assists during this standout performance.
Earlier in the week, Flagg had also put up a strong showing with 19 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and one steal in a dominating victory over an unbeaten Pittsburgh team in ACC play, further solidifying his status.
He has become a regular in the ACC’s weekly honors, achieving both player of the week and rookie of the week accolades for the third time this season.
The runner-up for the week is Curtis Jones of Iowa State.
The senior guard, standing at 6-foot-4, played a crucial role in keeping the second-ranked Cyclones at the forefront of national competition, helping the team secure victories against Utah and Texas Tech.
Against Utah, he scored 23 points while adding five rebounds and six assists. In the subsequent game against Texas Tech, he delivered an even stronger performance with 26 points.
Over the week, Jones made 18 out of 32 shots, concluding with a shooting percentage of .563, and he successfully converted six out of 14 three-point attempts at a rate of .429, all while not committing a single turnover during his 67 minutes on the court.
His consistent play earned him the title of the Big 12’s player of the week as well.
Honorable mentions for the week include AJ Clayton from Ohio and Asa Newell from Georgia.
Another player to watch is Purdue’s Braden Smith, who stands 6-foot-0 and continues to shine as a remarkable playmaker for the 17th-ranked Boilermakers.
Currently, he averages an impressive 9.2 assists per game, ranking third across Division I college basketball.
Last week, Smith recorded 16 points along with 14 assists in a victory over Rutgers, and he followed that performance with yet another 14-assist game against Nebraska.
What’s more, he maintained an impressive assist-to-turnover ratio of better than 5:1, making only five turnovers throughout the week.
Smith has achieved at least 10 assists in four of his last five games and is set to travel for upcoming games against Washington and No. 13 Oregon.
