Cooper Flagg has chance to become college basketball’s brightest star on way to NBA Draft

For years now, the anticipation for Cooper Flagg’s college basketball arrival has built up. The once dominant high school player from Maine reclassified to 2024 in order to streamline his path to the NBA but has opened a window to cement himself as a Duke legend along the way.

The unanimous No. 1 player in the class of 2024, Flagg accomplished a rare feat by re-classifying but staying put in his position as a five-star plus prospect in the On3 Industry rankings.

Sure, part of the fan appeal rises out of the Duke lineage which includes Christian Laettner, JJ Redick, Grayson Allen and more. But his game and potential speak for themselves without the college basketball talking points around the water cooler.

Flagg’s game

What has set Cooper Flagg apart from his class members to this point is a combination of athletic dominance, developing offense, and size. While the alley-oop dunks and 3-point shooting play well for social media, his defense is among the best tools he possesses.

A quick-twitch jump has often led the 6-foot-9 small forward to pick up a surprising number of blocks for his position and size, especially as a weakside helper. Add in the commitment to rebounding and solid wing defending and there is an all-defensive team platform to build on.

Offensively, the downhill moves will be interesting to follow as he bulks up and the level of competition increases. His shot, while not conventional at first glance, appears consistent enough to project at least a decent percentage when open.

The next steps for him on the floor all come with development, both physical and mental. Adjusting each time a new challenge arises and building muscle to cope with the higher level of competition throughout this season and beyond is key to him – and every other prospect – reaching their ceiling.

Early returns

Through the first week of the 2024-25 college basketball season, Cooper Flagg has shown glimpses of why he is a draw, while also leaving room for growth in the next several months.

In his college debut against Maine, Flagg scored 18 points with seven rebounds and five assists. He added three steals on defense. While he got his scoring number up, the perimeter shooting did not translate in a 0/4 3-point output.

Quick to dismiss any concerns that shooting performance could raise, he followed it with a 2/4 performance from beyond the arc. The game vs. Army resulted in a 13 points, 11 rebounds, three assists statline with three blocks and two steals.

His 28.0 PER (Player Efficiency Rating) and 70.9 defensive rating further highlight his impact through analytics.

In a growing tradition of freshman Duke stars, Flagg has also dealt with cramping issues early this season. An uncommon issue which created a link between Paolo Banchero and him.

Even so, the early tape not only demonstrates what scouts have followed throughout his early career, but introduce the next college basketball sensation – who ESPN analyst Jay Williams called the biggest draw since Zion Williamson – to a national audience.

Next steps

The next game Duke plays is scheduled for ESPN on Tuesday night. A battle between blue-bloods as the Blue Devils face a new Kentucky regime.

Not only will it be the biggest stage Cooper Flagg has ever played on, but it will draw an even larger audience that other marquee November matchups thanks to the College Football Playoff rankings reveal show jammed into the program. College fans of all kinds, following programs across the country will likely tune in long enough to develop and opinion.

A big performance in that Champions Classic setting could certainly build hype to the level of Zion Williamson and past Duke basketball stars expected to go one-and-done.

Less important for his NBA Draft stock, but certainly a major point in his quest to become a college basketball legend, is the strength of the team around him. A mix of returning production, incoming transfers and five-star freshman position Duke well for a deep run in March between the ACC Tournament and NCAA Tournament.

Could Cooper Flagg help Jon Scheyer get his first national championship? If so, his name could become linked to his coach the same way Christian Laettner is with Mike Krzyzewski.