Jay Bilas reacts to Cooper Flagg making his MSG debut: 'It's not going to be his last'

Cooper Flagg makes his debut at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. It’s expected to be the first of many appearances playing inside The World’s Most Famous Arena when Duke takes on Illinois in a non-conference matchup.

According to ESPN’s Jay Bilas, Flagg was tailor-made to play on stages like MSG.

“This guy, competitively, is on a level that most players aren’t able to reach,” Bilas explained. “Especially at that age, he’s the most advanced, complete and competitive freshman that Duke has ever had in my time around the game. Cooper Flagg is special. He’s special in every aspect of the game. He doesn’t have any holes in his game — he can get better at things. He’s going to improve as a shooter, but heck, just since February, shooting 42% from three, and he leads the team in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and blocks.

“He’s one of only two players in the country that do that for his team. … He’s going to be the first pick in the draft. This is his first time in Madison Square Garden, It’s not going to be his last.”

Heading into Saturday’s matchup against the Fighting Illini, Flagg is averaging 19.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. Long since thought to be the consensus No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Flagg is carving out a legacy for himself in Durham to the level no projected freshman one-and-done has ever done with the Blue Devils.

Not only is he leading his team in every statistical category — Flagg is also a major reason why Duke has set itself up as a potential 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Currently, Duke is 23-3 overall with a 15-1 record against conference opponents. That’s good for sole possession of the first place in the current ACC Standings. The Blue Devils are undefeated (15-0) at home this year, and 8-1 in away matchups.

They’re 19-1 in their last 20 matchups dating back to November, and a run to the Final Four is certainly on the table based on the success they’re having during the regular season. Much of this success can be attributed to the 6-foot-9 true freshman superstar from Maine.

Tip-off inside Madison Square Garden between the Blue Devils and the Illini is set for 8 p.m. ET live on FOX. Duke is a 9.5-point betting favorite heading into the matchup, per FanDuel Sportsbook.