- NBA. Cooper Flagg is dominating NCAA basketball with national honors but Duke fans are betting big to keep him for another year
- NBA. Cooper Flagg's mom rants about harassment of UNC fans as Duke phenom chase March Madness greatness before NBA draft
With less than 10 days until the first round of the NCAA Tournament - where upsets are always possible - the top seeds in the bracket will be the top-ranked teams in the latest AP College Basketball Poll: Duke (1), Houston (2), Auburn (3) and Florida (4). However, the biggest spotlight and most attention will undoubtedly be on projected first overall pick and National Player of the Year favoriteCooper Flagg. Flagg is the best player on the best team, as he would be the first freshman in Division I history to lead his team in every major statistical category - points (19.4), rebounds (7.6), assists (4.2), steals (1.5) and blocks (1.3).
No matter what happens in March Madness-whether Duke wins the national championship or gets bounced in the first round-it's hard to imagine Flagg not being the first overall pick. His biggest concern should be which team lands that selection, as the teams with the highest lottery odds are the Hornets, Wizards and Jazz, franchises that have been mired in mediocrity for several seasons.
Flagg NBA Player Comparisons
Flagg will be in the NBA next year, no question about it, even if some believe and have even bet that the 31 games he played as a freshman, plus the ones in the tournament, won't be his only ones as a Blue Devil. Some believe he may return next season after mentioning it in an interview with The Athletic last month but that seems unrealistic. Bleacher Report recently compared Flagg's style to NBA players past and present, but let's be honest-there is no clear unique comparison for an athletic, 6'9" three-level scorer, er and defender who can guard both bigs and wings.
Among the comparisons, ranked from worst to best, the ones that stand out the most are Franz Wagner of the Orlando Magic and Jalen Johnson of the Atlanta Hawks. Both are versatile scorers that haven't even reach their peak, but Flagg's ceiling at both ends of the floor is significantly higher. At just 18 years old, he still has plenty of room to grow both physically and mentally in the NBA, and that development will largely depend on which team drafts him and the coaching staff he works with.
Best case scenario? Kevin Garnett - a Hall of Famer and a one-of-a-kind talent who, on his best days (which were frequent), was simply unstoppable. While Flagg has a more guard-like style than the 15-time All-Star, he should still develop into a frontcourt player who can be a focal point from the elbows and short corners. Defensively, both have strong motors, shifty footwork and the ability to make athletic plays around the rim. Garnett was one of only eight NBA players to average 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block in a season. If you told a young player he had KG potential, he'd be flattered.
Cooper Flagg's Historic College Journey
But maybe it's best not to compare him to anyone just yet - he still has his NCAA journey to complete, and as mentioned above, his development will largely depend on which team drafts him. For now, Flagg remains the clear favorite to win National Player of the Year, becoming just the fourth freshman in history to win the award, ing Zion Williamson (2019), Anthony Davis (2012) and Kevin Durant (2007). That's an elite list to be a part of.
Flagg will do everything he can to bring back a national championship to Duke, as it has been 10 years since their last chip. In the tournament, he'll prove why he was named ACC Rookie of the Week a record 11 times this season and why he has won both the Rookie and Player of the Week awards five times. Also in January, he set an ACC freshman scoring record with 42 points in a win over Notre Dame. A national championship would cement his season as one of the greatest in NCAA history, while helping coach Jon Scheyer secure his first national title and begin his own legacy.