Jay Williams: Cooper Flagg is most exciting player since Zion Williamson in college basketball

After only two games at Duke, freshman Cooper Flagg has college basketball insiders around the nation bought in. Following the Blue Devils’ 100-58 win over Army on Friday, ESPN analyst Jay Williams raved about the first-year standout.

“Special, man,” Williams said. “I’ve seen it since his time at Montverde. He just plays with a different pace and a different type of mentality.

“Cooper Flagg is the most exciting player we’ve had in college basketball since Zion Williamson,” Williams continued. “Now, he may not jump off the page the way Zion Williamson did because of the 360 windmill dunks that Zion is still doing in the league but his versatility [is special].”

Flagg was rated even higher in high school than Zion Williamson, coming to Duke as the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting cycle, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. Thus far, Flagg has lived up to his billing.

In 27.5 minutes per game, Flagg is averaging 15.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists while shooting 44% from the field. In comparison, Williamson averaged 27.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and three assists per game through his first two collegiate contests.

It’s also worth noting that Williamson’s first collegiate game was against Kentucky in the Champions Classic. While Flagg may not be rivaling Williamson’s absurd figures yet, Jay Williams has been blown away by the star forward’s aggression.

“He’s from Maine, but he plays like a brother from Philly,” Williams said. “He will attack you. He did that this off season with USA Basketball. There were guys on USA basketball that legitimately thought that Cooper Flagg could have played on that USA Basketball team. That says something about his talent.”

Earlier this year, Cooper Flagg was the sole collegiate player to earn a spot on the USA Select Team, which scrimmaged against Team USA ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Flagg not only made the roster, but turned heads during scrimmages against NBA stars such as Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Kevin Durant.

Jay Williams wasn’t the only one who had high praise for Flagg.

“His defensive range is ridiculous. His offensive package is unbelievable. He’s a three-level scorer,” college basketball analyst Seth Greenberg said. “But more importantly, he never chases a shot. He makes the game easy for absolutely everyone… We’re going to talk about Cooper flag all season long. He is just different.”

On Tuesday, Flagg will face his greatest test yet as Duke squares off against No. 23 Kentucky at 9 p.m. ET in the Champions Classic. The game will air live on ESPN.