Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren praised Duke commit Cooper Flagg for taking on the challenge of scrimmaging against USA Basketball last month.
Flagg, the consensus top recruit in the class of 2024, participated with the select team in a run against the senior roster ahead of the Olympics. He was the first collegian to participate with the select team since Doug McDermott and Marcus Smart in 2013.
He went viral after some highlights surfaced on social media and earned high praise from Kevin Durant and team director Grant Hill. He also earned respect from Holmgren on “Podcast P” with Paul George for wanting to compete against the likes of LeBron James, Durant and others.
It is impressive not only because you can see some of the different skills he has in his skill set, but also just understanding the situation. He is 17 and hasn’t played in a college game and is coming in hooping against the highest level of basketball players pretty much in the world. I respect him for that, and I feel like I can understand where he is coming from. I’m trying to go hoop against the best wherever it might be, and I can see that with how he moves.
Flagg, who turns 18 in December, dazzled in spurts in the scrimmage. From splashing 3-pointers in front of Anthony Davis, to drawing defenders such as Jrue Holiday, Flagg put on a show against a roster that won its fifth straight gold medal.
The 6-foot-9 forward was the Maine Gatorade Player of the Year while playing for Nokomis Regional High School. He played last season at the Montverde Academy in Florida and chose coach Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils over UConn and Kansas.
Flagg is the overwhelming favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, ahead of Ace Bailey, VJ Edgecombe, Dylan Harper, Tre Johnson and Dink Pate, among others.
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