Duke's Cooper Flagg Tops 2025 Naismith MCBB Defensive Player of the Year Semifinalists

Duke superstar freshman Cooper Flagg was one of 10 players named semifinalists for the Naismith Men's College Defensive Player of the Year Award on Wednesday.

Flagg is joined by Auburn's Denver Jones, Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner, Iowa State's Tamin Lipsey, UC San Diego's Hayden Gray, Tennessee's Jahmai Mashack and Zakai Zeigler, Marquette's Stevie Mitchell, Houston's Joseph Tugler and Kadary Richmond of St. John's.

The 18-year-old Flagg, who is also a strong candidate for National Player of the Year honors, is the only freshman to be named a semifinalist for the DPOY.

Flagg arrived at Duke as the consensus No. 1 recruit in the nation, and he has lived up to even the loftiest expectations.

With Flagg leading the way, the Blue Devils are the No. 1-ranked team in the country with a 28-3 record, and they are arguably the team to beat in the upcoming NCAA tournament.

Flagg has been excellent offensively, averaging 19.4 points and 4.2 assists per game, while also shooting 49.4 percent from the field and 37.7 percent from beyond the arc, but his defensive impact cannot be overstated.

Through 31 games, he is averaging 7.6 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per contest, all of which lead the Blue Devils.

Duke's team success and Flagg's contributions across multiple categories make him a strong DPOY candidate, but he has some tough competition to beat out.

Kalkbrenner may be the biggest threat to Flagg's Defensive Player of the Year hopes since he is one of the best rebounders and shot blockers in the nation.

As the 22-9 Bluejays' best player, Kalkbrenner is averaging 19.4 points per game to go along with 9.0 rebounds and 2.7 blocks. The 7-footer ranks fourth in the country in block average and tied for 35th in rebounding average, which is a combination no other semifinalist can match.

If history is any indicator, it won't be long until the list of semifinalists is whittled down to four finalists.

The finalists were announced on March 21 last year, followed by then-Houston guard Jamal Shead being named the 2023-24 Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year on April 7.