Duke superstar Cooper Flagg joined rare company following Monday’s national title game between Houston and Florida, becoming the fifth player in the 2000s to make the All-Tournament team without playing in the final game of the college basketball season.
Flagg joined Alijah Martin (FAU, 2023), Paolo Banchero (Duke, 2022), Johnny Juzang (UCLA, 2021) and Jamie Skeen (VCU, 2011) as the only players voted to the All-Tournament team in the Final Four without playing in the national title game since 2000. Flagg joined Houston’s LJ Cryer and J’Wan Roberts and Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr. and Will Richard on the team.
Flagg’s team was eliminated last weekend after squandering a 14-point lead against Houston in the national semifinals. Flagg, the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, recorded 27 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals in the 70-67 loss. Flagg became the first player to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks in a Final Four game since the defensive stats became official in 1986.
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Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds 4.2 assists and 1.4 blocks per game during his stellar freshman season. He earned CBS Sports National Player of the Year honors and finished No. 1 on his team in every major statistical category.
Missing in action
Cooper Flagg is the fifth player in the 2000s to make the All-Tournament team without playing in the title game.
| Year | Player | School |
| 2011 | Jamie Skeen | VCU |
| 2021 | Johnny Juzang | UCLA |
| 2022 | Paolo Banchero | Duke |
| 2023 | Alijah Martin | FAU |
| 2025 | Cooper Flagg | Duke |
Why is it so rare? The Final Four All-Tournament team is meant to only represent the final three games of the season. Flagg and those other four — three of whom were on Cinderella runs with double-digit seeds — all made that team while only playing one game — and losing.
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