India, April 28 -- Duke freshmen Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel have emerged as two of the most talked-about young stars in basketball. Their debut seasons have culminated in a closely contested Rookie of the Year race.

Cooper Flagg narrowly defeated his former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel to win the NBA Rookie of the Year on Monday. A panel of 100 media members voted, and Flagg defeated Knueppel by 26 points. Knueppel received the remaining votes, while Flagg garnered 56 first-place votes.

Knueppel received 55 second-place votes and one third-place vote, compared to Flagg's 44 second-place votes.

Flagg had an unprecedented season for a 19-year-old teenager. He became the youngest player in NBA history to score 35, 40, 45, and 50 points i...