Generational talent is nothing new for Duke basketball. The men’s program has yielded eight Naismith National Players of the Year, while the women’s team has produced WNBA champions like Lexie Brown and Chelsea Gray. Despite this, it is rare for both teams to simultaneously have a star freshman on their rosters.

However, the stars have seemingly aligned on the 2024-25 Duke basketball season. Two freshmen from the 44th parallel — Newport, Maine’s Cooper Flagg and Toronto’s Toby Fournier — have made a strong case as the best men’s-women’s freshman duo in Duke’s storied history. Flagg and Fournier were both named ACC Rookie of the Year, just the third time that both programs have won the conference’s newcomer award in the same year. How have they improved this year, and what is in store for them as the NCAA Tournament begins?

Cooper Flagg: Improved efficiency and consistent defense

In a previous column published Jan. 4, I wrote that Cooper Flagg needed to work on his outside shooting while taking more shots in the paint. Since Duke’s Dec. 31 win against Virginia Tech, Flagg has played exceptional basketball, averaging 20.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game on 53.1% shooting. He has shot 36.8% from 3-point range on the season and continues to dominate in the paint. 

Flagg’s finest performance came Jan. 11 against Notre Dame, where he scored 42 points on just 14 field-goal attempts, setting the ACC single-game freshman record in the process. The freshman made a season-high four threes, which included three in the first seven minutes of the game. For head coach Jon Scheyer, the game was the actualization of Flagg’s outside shot.

“When you’re so talented and can create a shot almost any time, you’re not used to being mentally prepared to shoot,” Scheyer said after the game. “[Flagg’s] had to work through that some. It’s never been, ‘We need to make him a good shooter.’ He’s been a good shooter … to see it translate into a game like this is terrific.”

Even moments of adversity seem to be short-lived. Against Clemson Feb. 8, an ill Flagg had shot a poor 2-for-11 through 33 minutes, but with the contest slipping out of the Blue Devils’ reach, the freshman pulled them right back in it. He scored 14 of Duke’s last 17 points, including three 3-pointers. If not for an ill-timed slip with 14 seconds to go, the Blue Devils may have emerged from Littlejohn Coliseum with a comeback victory.

“Cooper was just being Cooper there,” Scheyer said about Flagg’s scoring run. “He just has a special will.” 

Flagg has been exceptional from the start of his college career on defense. His 49 steals lead the team and rank in the top 10 of the ACC. One of his best occurred in Duke’s Feb. 12 win against Cal, where he turned an errant pass from Joshua Ola-Joseph into a reverse slam. Flagg briefly checked his assigned player on defense before snapping his head back to intercept the pass, leading to a season highlight.

Another impressive highlight came late in the first half in Duke’s Feb. 17 victory over Virginia. Flagg, who had notched a nice rejection earlier in the game, recognized that teammate Kon Knueppel was lagging behind the Cavaliers’ Blake Buchanan. The freshman quickly adjusted, and with the rim in his face, altered Buchanan’s shot just enough to get the stop and log a block.

“Cooper does not care [about statistics],” Scheyer said following Duke’s Feb. 15 victory against Stanford. “He cares about winning.”

Flagg went down with an ankle sprain in Duke’s ACC Tournament quarterfinal against Georgia Tech. While the Blue Devils were still able to cut down the nets without him, their efficiency took a noticeable hit. From the beginning of the season to Duke’s regular-season finale against North Carolina, the Blue Devils were the second-most efficient team in college basketball, according to Bart Torvik. However, in three games where Flagg was mostly absent, Duke dropped to 13th.

For Flagg, the ACC Player and Rookie of the Year, dreams of securing Duke’s sixth national championship seem well within reach. If the Blue Devils get there, expect Flagg’s season-long improvement and resilience to be major reasons why.

Toby Fournier: Versatile scoring and short memory 

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As the 10th-ranked prospect on ESPN’s 2024 HoopGurlz recruiting rankings, Toby Fournier was expected to be an immediate impact player for the Blue Devils. While her famous dunking ability has yet to materialize in a game, her production has been outstanding, especially for a freshman.

“Toby plays the game at a really high level athletically,” head coach Kara Lawson said following Duke’s Feb. 6 win over Clemson. “She’s able to score, she’s able to rebound, she’s able to block shots.”

Fournier has done well in all three of those categories this season. The six-time ACC Rookie of the Week averages 13.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game while making 53% of her field-goal attempts. Her nine games with 20 or more points rank second all-time among Duke freshmen. 

“Toby’s great … she’s a bucket,” junior guard Ashlon Jackson said following Duke’s Feb. 9 win over Miami. “Being able to lean on her and have her carry some of the load as a freshman is very impressive.”

Fournier has been particularly good about following her off-nights with strong performances. After scoring just two points against South Carolina Dec. 5, she dropped 27 points three days later against Virginia Tech. And following a two-game losing streak to Notre Dame and Louisville, she responded with a dynamic trio of games against Syracuse, North Carolina and Florida State. Fournier averaged 23 points and 7.3 rebounds per game during that span, which included a season-high 28 against the Seminoles. Her game against Florida State was all the more impressive considering she was matched up against Makayla Timpson, one of the best defenders in the ACC.

“It’s definitely the finest performance by a freshman in a league game this season.” Lawson said of Fournier’s outing against Florida State. “And it goes without saying, this is the freshman of the year in the [ACC]. If you can’t see that, you gotta go to the eye doctor.”

Fournier credits the mindset of invulnerability to losses to Lawson, who echoed her words after the game. 

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about losing a game,” Lawson said. “What’s embarrassing is if you lose it and you don’t fix the problem … you’re quitting or you’re choosing to turn a blind eye to what your downfall is.”

While the vast majority of Fournier’s scoring has come under the rim or at the free-throw line, she has shown flashes from longer distances. The freshman has scored five 3-pointers this season, and even nailed a midrange jumper against Syracuse.

“The midrange is definitely part of my development,” Fournier said after the Syracuse game. “When you get that midrange, you’re able to open up a lot of different things … you can use the shot-fakes to get to the rim, which is one of my strengths.”

A special part of Fournier’s game is her elite back-to-the-basket post-up ability, becoming more uncommon in college basketball. Her 6-foot-2 stature and athleticism allow her to bully defenders to the basket, and her long wingspan grants her the ability to hit shots off the glass from a variety of angles.

Like Flagg, Fournier has always been a capable defender. Her 35 total blocks rank in 10th in the ACC and second among freshmen. Fournier’s career high came against Belmont Nov. 21, where she snagged three blocks to go along with 25 points. 

“She’s really versatile defensively,” Lawson said of Fournier at a March 5 media availability. “She can switch onto guards and guard them. She can hold her own against some of the top post players in the league.”

In a chaotic pair of possessions against Miami Feb. 9, Fournier put up a tough shot, which was corralled by the Hurricanes’ Natalija Marshall for the rebound. Fournier’s eyes never wavered from Marshall, which allowed the Toronto native to corral her third steal of the afternoon when Marshall mishandled the ball. Fournier snagged the loose ball and converted a difficult layup-and-one.

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With the ACC Tournament wrapped up, the spotlights for the NCAA Tournament will be set heavily on two Duke freshmen separated by Ontario’s Highway 401. Regardless of the season’s ultimate result, Flagg and Fournier have proven that a youth movement for Durham’s finest is in full swing.