Few college basketball freshmen have carried the expectations [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] brought with him to Durham this season.
Despite reclassifying to reach the Duke Blue Devils a year early, Flagg won a national title as a high-school senior before scrimmaging against the U.S. Olympic team at training camp this summer. Before he played a minute of college ball, analysts were calling him a generational talent and stamping him as the future No. 1 pick.
And yet, through nine games, Flagg has looked the part. At least, ESPN NBA draft analyst Jonathan Givony certainly thinks so.
“Flagg has been every bit as good as advertised,” Givony wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday. “His unwavering confidence and aggressiveness have been impressive in big moments, helping him maintain his standing atop our board.”
The first-year superstar leads the Blue Devils in scoring (17.0 points per game), rebounding (9.0), assists (3.8), and blocks (1.3), and he’s second on the team in steals (1.7). He’s played five major conference opponents this season, including three teams currently within the top 10 of the USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll, and scored at least 20 points in four of those games.
Flagg recently won his third ACC Rookie of the Week award thanks to his consecutive 20-point double-doubles against the Auburn Tigers and Louisville Cardinals.