After a rocky start to the season, Duke basketball has become one of the best teams in the country and has shredded nearly all comers in the ACC. Aside from a close loss to Clemson on the road, the Blue Devils have rattled off blowout win after blowout win in conference play, the latest of which was an 80-62 rout of Virginia on Monday night.
Freshman phenom Cooper Flagg is coming into his own, and that has been a big part of this run that Duke is on. His skills have been on display all season, but the game feels like it is slowing down for him and he is refining his skillset on both ends of the floor for the Blue Devils. As a result, he is distancing himself from the rest of the pack in the race for the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.
Went on NBA Today to discuss the many ways Cooper Flagg impacts the game and why it’s hard to talk about anyone else at No. 1. pic.twitter.com/FEMf3PpGpz
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) February 18, 2025
“He’s put a stranglehold on the No. 1 pick conversation over the past six weeks,” Givony said on NBA Today. “He’s emerged as the best player in college basketball on arguably the best team in the country. He’s doing it at 18 years old which is mind-blowing when you look at how advanced his feel for the game is, how hard he plays and all the many ways that he impacts winning on both ends of the floor.”
What sets Duke’s Cooper Flagg apart as the best prospect in this NBA Draft
This is a loaded draft class that features young stars all across college basketball including Rutgers’ Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper as well as Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe. However, Cooper Flagg has distanced himself from the pack over the course of the season.
Flagg is an excellent defender with the size to be a great rebounder and an asset as a help side rim protector, but he has also shown some flashes on the ball on that side as well. NBA teams will love his versatility on that end and that makes him a very desirable prospect as someone who can guard on the wing.
Offensively, Flagg is still a very good roller and finisher at the rim, but he has also taken on more of a shot creating load for Duke this season. Flagg can get to his spots off the bounce and make jumpers both off the catch and off the dribble, which should give NBA teams plenty of hope for his potential as a shot creator.
With some of the up and down play from Bailey and Harper this season, it seems like a sure thing that Flagg will be the top pick this summer. If he can keep improving over the next month, this Duke basketball team has a great chance to cap off a great season with a national championship.
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