Cooper Flagg, the nice candidate to be the number one choose within the 2025 Draft who’s producing as a lot expectation earlier than his leap to the NBA as LeBron James, Kevin Durant or Victor Wembanyama, starred in a recreation for the ages in Duke’s86-78 win over Notre Dame.
The magic of Cooper Flagg is being himself
The Blue Devils rookie scored 42 factors (the primary to take action at Duke since JJ Redick in 2006), six rebounds and 7 assists within the highest scoring efficiency by a freshman in ACC historical past, breaking a 12-year-old file held by Olivier Hanlan (Boston Faculty).
Cooper Flagg shocks crowd by humiliating opponent with a dunk to his face
“He is simply being himself. And that is the magic of Cooper Flagg, being himself. He isn’t forcing something. He is simply being a participant, taking the seems as they arrive. He noticed one thing he preferred and 42 factors later, right here we’re,” stated his teammate Sion James after the sport.
Cooper Flagg, a robust 6-foot-9 ahead who simply turned 18, is likely one of the finest defenders within the NCAA and has turn out to be Duke’s chief in factors, rebounds, blocks, assists and steals.
Cooper Flagg’s statistics in his first season within the NCAA, through which he already has six double-doubles, are 19.1 factors, 9.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.6 steals in 31.3 minutes.
“Cooper Flagg is likely one of the finest basketball gamers we have seen in a very long time.”
Carlos Boozer, a former Duke participant with an extended NBA profession, acknowledged that “Cooper Flagg has exceeded a number of the expectations we had. I believed he was going to be one of the best freshman within the ACC, however now he has an actual probability to be the nationwide participant of the 12 months.”
Joel Berry II, a former North Carolina participant, additionally highlights the affect of Cooper Flagg within the NCAA: “You knew he was going to have a huge impact on the sport… However I by no means noticed this.”
Cooper Flagg is Maine’s most impactful export since lobster
Analyst Clay Travis defines Cooper Flagg as “top-of-the-line American-born basketball gamers we have seen in an extended, very long time. He has no ceiling.”
Jay Bilas, an analyst for ESPN, made a curious comparability to spotlight the expertise of the 18-year-old prodigy from Newport, Maine: “Cooper Flagg is Maine’s most impactful export since lobster.”
Jeff Teague: “Cooper Flagg is a superb white hope. He has the potential to be a star”
Former NBA participant Jeff Teague would wager on Dylan Harper (Rutgers) because the No. 1 choose within the 2025 NBA Draft.
“I’d see Dylan Harper because the primary selection… However I imply he is not going to be primary due to Cooper Flagg for every little thing that comes with him. To be sincere, he is an awesome white hope. An athletic white man like that had the potential to be a star,” Teague stated on the ‘Membership 520’ podcast.
