It was almost believed that Cooper Flagg wouldn’t be coming back. Like, the predicted No. 1 NBA Draft picks had one foot out the door. But even then, Duke fans weren’t panicking too much. Why? Because the Blue Devils already had four top-25 prospects locked in. Five-star power forward Cameron Boozer and his twin brother Cayden were ready to make Cameron their new playground. Add fellow five-star Nikolas Khamenia to the mix, and things looked fine. The 2025-26 roster felt predictable. But, well… it seems like it’s not going to look like the way we expected at all. 

The Blue Devils are expected to bounce back with a loaded squad next season after falling short this time around. They made it to the Final Four but couldn’t snag that title. Now, out of nowhere, head coach Jon Scheyer took another big hit as one of the biggest names in his 2025 class just dipped. 

Five-star forward Shelton Henderson, ranked No. 14 by 247Sports, officially decommitted and reopened his recruitment. Henderson committed last November and was highly expected to be a star. But here’s the thing…his main connection was with Jai Lucas, Duke’s former associate head coach. And Lucas is now down in Miami, appointed as the Hurricanes’ new head coach.

He even pulled up to Henderson’s high school, Bellaire, before the decommitment happened. Coincidence? Doesn’t look like it. The streets are buzzing. Is Henderson following Lucas to Miami?

However, that’s not even the wildest part. This whole situation has fans thinking maybe, just maybe, Cooper Flagg’s staying after all. If you remember…After Duke’s tough Final Four exit, the freshman phenom was out in L.A. for the Wooden Award Ceremony. He became just the fourth true freshman in college hoops history to snag the prestigious honor. Obviously, all eyes were on his next move. Hence, the 6-foot-9 superstar was asked the big question.

“I’m just going through the process. Really, we haven’t had that much time to talk about it yet. I got the chance to come out here (Los Angeles) and take some time with myself and my family and take some time to reflect on the season I’ve had,” he said. No decision yet, it meant. “I’m not in a particular rush. I’m just going through the process, going to talk with everybody I need to, and will make a decision on what’s best for me,” he added. But, to date, we haven’t got any official announcement. 

Meanwhile, his fellow projected lottery pick, Kon Knueppel, has already locked in for the draft. But Flagg’s responses have been surprisingly thoughtful and a whole lot less definitive than what most people expected.  

And now, with this decommitment sending waves through the fanbase, Durham is reading the tea leaves loud and clear. They want this to mean he’s coming back. And let’s just say the Cameron Crazies are already celebrating. 

Cooper Flagg running it back? Fans are almost sure 

The internet is blowing up with speculation that Cooper Flagg is coming back for a sophomore year at Duke. One fan went, “Wow, Cooper coming back.” While there’s no official announcement (yet), fans are almost sure that 5-star recruit backing off from his commitment is because Flagg is staying. Because looking at last season, we just know that when Flagg is on the court, he leads. He is in the spotlight. Period. So maybe that didn’t sit right with someone who wanted their own spotlight.

However, head coach Jon Scheyer did say that he hasn’t talked to Flagg about a sophomore return and even added, “I think he’s got to take the next dream in his life, and be the top pick in the NBA Draft.” While the coach thinks Flagg should take up this opportunity, fans desperately want him to return. One wished, “Please tell me this is because there are rumblings of Coop returning 🙏🏻”

Also, just a reminder that Flagg actually reclassified. Yes, he was supposed to be a high school senior this year. So technically, he’s already ahead of the game and has time to grow more before going pro. Remember Tim Duncan? After a great sophomore season at Wake Forest, he could’ve gone No. 1, but he stayed. Same with Shaq after LSU. He came back and still went first overall the next year. That could be Flagg’s move too. He’s only 18, and with the “generational talent” label, he’s got all the eyes on him.

And fans are already hyped about the idea. “Sophomore Coop will be epic,” one said and how could it not be? He just dropped 19.2 points per game in his stellar rookie year campaign, won NPOY honors, and still didn’t get the natty. That unfinished business is enough to bring anyone back. There are rumors floating that Flagg wants to end his college run with a national title, and he got real close this year.

Plus, you can’t ignore the NIL wave he’s surfing on. Another fan added, “Coop snatched his NIL chain confirmed 100%.” The Gatorade deal made him the first male college hooper to land that endorsement. His NIL valuation is sitting pretty at $4.8 million.  Brands are clearly all-in on him, which might be making it harder for other players to secure big-time deals and fans think that played a role too.

But it’s not just about Flagg. One fan asked, “This almost guarantees Slim is returning… right…right?” There’s a quiet buzz about Isaiah Evans too. He’s got three paths—go pro, hit the portal, or stay put. The freshman lit up the court off the bench this year, and fans feel like maybe, he’s gearing up to run it back too.

But all in all, there’s been no real movement in the Duke basketball roster (except this decommitment), and fans are out here playing detective, clinging to every crumb of info they can find. This wait is brutal. Hope they get some answers soon.