NBA star warns Cooper Flagg is a 'problem' as Duke talent takes March Madness by storm
Cooper Flagg is widely projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft after a sensational freshman season at Duke, and it's easy to see why the 17-year-old is so highly rated
Duke talent Cooper Flagg has been turning heads in the NBA community with his remarkable collegiate performance this season. As it stands now, Flagg is projected to claim the top spot in the 2025 NBA Draft. This comes after he left a lasting impression by taking on Team USA in pre-Olympic scrimmages back in 2024 — a feat accomplished at just 17 years old.
Standing at 6-foot-9, Flagg cemented his status as a standout freshman by securing the Wooden Award, an honor bestowed upon the most exceptional men's college basketball player, ahead of Duke's Final Four showdown with Houston in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
As a freshman phenom, his average stats included 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.3 blocks in 36 games, further solidifying his reputation as a generational talent with an undeniable two-way impact on the court.
Brooklyn Nets' forward Drew Timme, who rose to March Madness fame during his four years at Gonzaga, also reaching the 2021 championship game, firmly believes that Flagg's star is only just beginning to shine.
Speaking to Mirror U.S. Sports after the Nets' 105-90 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday, Timme said, "I mean, he's special," after inking a two-year contract with the Nets in late March. It's worth noting that Timme himself made it to the NBA two years after going undrafted in 2023, and has yet to witness Flagg play live.
He added: "I haven't seen him play in person or anything. But obviously from the highlights and stuff and watching him do play... he's the real deal and he's gonna be a problem. So there's not much more I can say about him than that he's really freaking good."
When pressed for his prediction on who'll take the championship title, Timme threw his support behind Florida out of loyalty to Will Graves, his buddy from their Gonzaga days. Graves, whose dad coaches Oregon women's hoops, recently hopped on as a grad assistant with the Gators for the upcoming 2024-25 season.
Unlike Timme, Nets big man Cameron Johnson had the opportunity to see Flagg up close during Duke's victory over Arizona in the Sweet 16. Flagg went off in that matchup, dropping a smooth 30 points, snagging six boards, dishing seven assists, stealing the ball once, and slapping away three shots.
"He's a really good player," Johnson commented on Flagg. "Under control, lets the game come to him, consistently makes the right plays, plays with a lot of effort. High impact defensive player. He has a bright future ahead of himself for sure."
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Duke's head honcho Jon Scheyer heaped praise on Flagg for his stunning performance against Arizona in the Sweet 16, calling it "one of the best tournament performances I've ever coached or been a part of."
That standout game isn't the only one that’s cemented the Maine native’s place in Duke basketball lore. Back in February, Flagg turned heads with a staggering 42-point game against Notre Dame, smashing the Duke and ACC freshman single-game scoring records. While there's been chatter about the possibility of the prodigious forward sticking around for another year of college ball, Coach Scheyer couldn't help but chuckle at the idea during the frenzy of March Madness.
Flagg's leap to the NBA seems like a done deal for the upcoming season, where he'll likely join the ranks of whichever team lands the coveted No. 1 pick in the upcoming May draft lottery. As Timme put it, Flagg is set to be "a problem" for any team that faces him on the court.