Duke Forward Makes History by Winning Trophy in Consecutive Seasons at Different Levels
SAN ANTONIO (April 6, 2025) – The Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today that Duke’s Cooper Flagg has won the 2025 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy, honoring him as the most outstanding men’s college basketball player. He becomes the first men’s player in the history of the award to win the award as a freshman after winning the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy in high school the previous season.
Rick Pitino of St. John’s was named the 2025 Werner Ladder Men’s Coach of the Year, and Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner earned the 2025 Naismith Men’s Defensive Player of the Year Presented by MOLECULE.
“With Cooper’s unmatched skill, Rick’s steadfast leadership, and Ryan’s tireless defensive excellence, each of them truly deserves this year’s Naismith awards,” said Eric Oberman, President of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “Their remarkable accomplishments on the court and the sideline throughout the season have earned them the highest honors in college basketball. We are proud to celebrate their unwavering dedication and extraordinary talent.”
Flagg is the ninth Duke player to win the award, following Zion Williamson (2019), J.J. Redick (2006), Jay Williams (2002), Shane Battier (2001), Elton Brand (1999), Christian Laettner (1992), Danny Ferry (1989), and Johnny Dawkins (1986). This is the most winners from any school in the 57 years of the award. It is also the 13th men’s award for Duke, as Mike Krzyzewski was named Coach of the Year in 1989, 1992 and 1999 while being honored as the men’s 2025 Naismith Outstanding Contributor to Basketball Award Winner.
Flagg now joins UConn’s Paige Bueckers to win the award in consecutive years at the different levels. She did so in 2020 and 2021. Former Blue Devil Shane Battier is the only men’s player in the award’s history to win both, as he did at Detroit Country Day School (Beverly Hills, Mich.) in 1997 and Duke in 2001. Nine women, including Bueckers, have won both awards.
Flagg and 2025 Naismith Women’s College Player of the Year Juju Watkins have both won High School POY and College POY. This is the first time a pair of winners have accomplished this feat. He is also only the fourth freshman to win the Men’s Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy joining Kevin Durant (2007, Texas), Anthony Davis (2012, Kentucky) and Williamson.
He is the first player from the ACC to win the award since Williamson did in 2019, and the 18th overall from the conference, which is the most of any conference. These previous 17 awards were won by 15 players as Virginia’s Ralph Sampson won it three times. Flagg won the award over finalists Auburn senior center Johni Broome, Florida senior guard Walter Clayton, Jr. and Braden Smith, a junior guard from Purdue.
About the 2025 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Men’s Player of the Year Cooper Flagg:
- The ACC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year.
- He is the fourth player in ACC history to capture the league’s Player and Rookie of the Year awards in the same season, joining former Duke standouts Zion Williamson (2019), Marvin Bagley III (2018) and Jahlil Okafor (2015).
- Finalist for the Naismith Men’s Defensive Player of the Year Presented by MOLECULE and was named to the ACC’s All-Defensive team.
- Flagg broke the Duke and ACC freshman single-game scoring records with 42 points versus Notre Dame, becoming the youngest player in NCAA history to have a 40-point game (18 years old).
- He is the only player to rank among the ACC’s top-10 in all five major statistical categories – scoring (3rd), rebounding (9th), assists (8th), blocked shots (8th) and steals (10th).
- He joined former Duke great Grant Hill as the only Blue Devil players in school history to average at least 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists per game in the NCAA Tournament entering a Final Four. Hill accomplished the feat in 1994.
- Flagg has averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game. All of which lead the Blue Devils.
“This is an incredible honor and I am truly grateful for the recognition,” said Flagg. “This whole year, this (NCAA) tournament, has gone by so fast. It’s been a blur and an incredible year. I have to give a lot of credit to my teammates, Coach Scheyer, the rest of the staff and everyone who had me ready to go every single night. They believed in me and let me be me out there on the court. I want to thank my parents; I wouldn’t be here without them.”
“Jersey Mike’s congratulates Cooper Flagg on his extraordinary achievement as the 2025 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Men’s Player of the Year,” said Jeff Hemschoot, Vice President of Marketing at Jersey Mike’s. “His remarkable skill and profound impact on the court are exceptional, and we are honored to celebrate his outstanding accomplishments with this prestigious award once again.”
This is the first time Rick Pitino has won the Werner Ladder Men’s Coach of the Year award. He led St. John’s to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019 and, in doing so, became the first coach in NCAA History to lead six Division I programs into the NCAA Tournament. He previously led Boston College, Providence, Kentucky, Louisville and Iona to the tournament.
He is the eighth coach from the BIG EAST to win the trophy and the third in the last four years following Dan Hurley from UConn last year and Ed Cooley (2022, Providence). The other 2025 finalists were Auburn’s Bruce Pearl, Houston’s Kelvin Sampson and Duke’s Jon Scheyer. This is the first Naismith Award for the St. John’s.
About 2025 Werner Ladder Naismith Men’s Coach of the Year Rick Pitino:
- The 2025 BIG EAST Conference Coach of the Year.
- Led team to a 31-5 record and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the school’s first appearance in the tournament since 2019.
- Team won its first round game over Omaha, marking the first NCAA Tournament victory for the school since 2000.
- The 31 wins tied a program record for wins in a season set in 1984-85 and 1985-86.
- Led St. John’s to its first BIG EAST Tournament title in 25 seasons.
- St. John’s captured its first outright BIG EAST regular season title in 40 years, tallying an 18-2 record in league competition. The Johnnies’ 18 conference wins tied the 2023-24 Connecticut team for the highest league win total in BIG EAST history.
- Pitino led St. John’s to nine consecutive weeks in the AP Poll to conclude the season. Pitino guided the team into the top-5 in the final week.
- In the regular season, the Red Storm matched a program record with 27 wins and suffered just four losses by a combined seven points.
“I’m truly honored to be the recipient of the Werner Ladder Naismith Coach of the Year award, especially with the incredible coaching of the other finalists this past season,” said Pitino. “I want to thank my players and coaches for making this possible after a historic season for St. John’s Basketball. I am also grateful to the Atlanta Tipoff Club and the Naismith Awards selection committee for this prestigious honor.”
“Werner Ladder congratulates Coach Rick Pitino for his unwavering dedication and exceptional leadership throughout the season, which has earned him this well-deserved recognition,” said Stacy Gardella, Head of Global Marketing Technology & Operations at ProDriven Brands. “We are proud to present this award, celebrating excellence in collegiate coaching, and offer our congratulations to him for guiding St. John’s men’s basketball team through another remarkable season.”
Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner is the first player from his school and the BIG EAST to win the Naismith Men’s Defensive Player of the Year Presented by MOLECULE. This is the first time a Creighton player or coach has won a Naismith Award. The other finalists were Jahmai Mashack and Zakai Zeigler from Tennessee and Houston’s Joseph Tugler.
He is only the third senior to win the award, joining Matisse Thybulle (Washington, 2019) and Jamal Shead (Houston, 2024). He was a finalist for the award the last two seasons.
About 2025 Naismith Men’s Defensive Player of the Year Presented by MOLECULE Ryan Kalkbrenner:
- He became the second player to win the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year award four times, joining Georgetown legend Patrick Ewing as the only two players to accomplish this feat.
- This season, he passed Ewing by one in career blocks in league play. He finished with 248 rejections to Ewing’s 247.
- He was a finalist for the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Men’s Trophy in 2025.
- Led the BIG EAST this year with 2.7 blocked shots per game (ranking fourth nationally) and 8.7 rebounds per game.
- His 93 blocks in 2024-25 paced the conference and elevated his career total to 399, second in school history behind Benoit Benjamin’s 411.
- He finished his career with 1,146 rebounds, also second in school history (Paul Silas, 1,751).
“It is a huge honor to be named Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and I am most appreciative to my teammates, coaches and the Atlanta Tipoff Club for recognizing our success,” said Kalkbrenner.
“MOLECULE is thrilled to congratulate Ryan Kalkbrenner on an extraordinary season that has earned him this prestigious honor,” said Kevin Blossom, SVP and General Manager of MOLECULE. “Ryan’s dominance on the court reflects his unparalleled dedication and excellence. His record-breaking achievements speak volumes, and we are proud to celebrate his remarkable impact with this award.”
WERNER LADDER NAISMITH COACH OF THE YEAR | JERSEY MIKE’S NAISMITH PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Flagg and Pitino were chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s national voting academy, comprised of leading media members from around the country, current and former head coaches, former award winners and conference commissioners, all of whom based their selections on outstanding on-court performances during the 2024-25 college basketball season. Additionally, fans had the opportunity to cast a ballot through naismithfanvote.com and on the @NaismithTrophy, NCAA @MarchMadnessMBB and @MarchMadnessWBB Twitter pages, which accounted for 5% of the overall vote. The vote was tabulated and verified by the Forensic Accounting team of iDiscovery Solutions, Inc., a consultative experts firm. The Player of the Year winner will be awarded the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy, produced and provided by Herff Jones, a leading provider of graduation and educational products and services designed to inspire achievement and create memorable experiences for students. Herff Jones will donate a replica trophy to the player’s university.
NAISMITH DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
The Atlanta Tipoff Club’s board of selectors, comprised of leading journalists from around the country, selected the winners, basing their selections on outstanding on-court defensive performances during the 2024-25 college basketball season. For the first time this year, this award was part of the naismithfanvote.com. For more information about the Naismith Awards, visit www.naismithtrophy.com.
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Media Contact:
Mallory Hadaway
Atlanta Tipoff Club
mallory.hadaway@naismithtrophy.com
(256) 682-0599
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB
Founded during the 1956-57 season, the Atlanta Tipoff Club is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club administers the Naismith Awards, the most prestigious national honors in all of college and high school basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the family of Naismith Awards annually recognizes the most outstanding men’s and women’s college and high school basketball players and coaches. Other Naismith Awards are presented to the men’s and women’s college basketball defensive players of the year, as well as lifetime achievement awards to basketball officials and outstanding contributors to the game. UC A’s Lew Alcindor received the first Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy in 1969, while the late Anne Donovan (Old Dominion) was the inaugural women’s recipient in 1983. Corporate partners of the Naismith Awards include AXIA Time, Jersey Mike’s, MOLECULE, Sharpie and Werner Ladder. For more information, visit www.naismithtrophy.com.
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Werner, the official ladder of NCAA® March Madness® and the world leader in ladders, offers a complete line of climbing products designed for working at heights. The portfolio includes ladders, attic ladders, scaffolding, pump jacks, stages, planks, accessories and fall protection equipment including harnesses, lanyards, anchors and compliance kits. From ladders to fall protection, Werner provides a full line of climbing equipment that’s engineered for maximum safety, durability and productivity at every height. All Werner products meet or exceed applicable international safety standards. For more information, visit www.wernerladder.com.
ABOUT MOLECULE
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