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Kevin Love weighs whether Cooper Flagg could have better career than him

Wade-Peeryby:Wade Peery•03/28/25
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(Robert Deutsch / Imagn Images)

Cooper Flagg has been having the dominant season that many expected him to have this season, erupting for a spectacular performance in the NCAA Tournament, willing the Duke Blue Devils to the Elite Eight. There’s been endless amount of chatter/buzz on Flagg for the past few years, and many analysts have compared him to Kevin Love in the NBA.

On Friday evening, we got a response from the former UCLA star on what he thought of the comparisons.

“For those who will take this as a shot at me….I don’t take it as such. I was pure skill & will. Cooper is far more talented than I ever was and if he stays healthy will have a far better career. He could very well have a statue by the time he’s finished. I’m a HUGE fan,” Love tweeted.

Cooper Flagg delivered a masterpiece vs. Arizona

The Arizona Wildcats were given yet another heroic performance from their superstar, Caleb Love, who left it all out on the floor on Thursday evening, in what will be his last college basketball game. He finished with 35 points, four rebounds, one assist, one steal. Arizona managed to battle back, but still fell short, losing 100-93.

Cooper Flagg delivered a spectacular performance exactly when his team needed it on Thursday night, propelling Duke to the Elite Eight, where they’ll face No. 2 seed Alabama. He had 30 points, six rebounds, seven assists, and a steal.

In doing so, the star freshman became the first Duke player to record 30 points, five rebounds, and five assists in an NCAA Tournament game. He looked like the player many penciled him in to be for the past few years. And quite frankly, he’s lived up to those expectations and then some.

Ngongba has steadily improved over the course of the year, playing 12 minutes on Thursday. He finished with 8 points, two rebounds, and one assist, before fouling out in the second half. The Blue Devils had to bring Khaman Maluach back off the bench. Maluach finished with 13 points, four blocks, and six rebounds. He’s one of the more coveted defensive prospects in this cycle and it’s easy to see his upside with his ability to catch lobs at the rim.

Duke will face Alabama on Saturday night in the Elite Eight for a chance to punch their tickets to the Final Four.