Cooper Flagg. Best prospect to come out of college since Zion Williamson. Scouts are raving about his NBA-ready defense and versatility, comparisons to former Jazzman Andrei Kirilenko, and overall greatness being just steps away. Most of them envision Flagg as the #1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
His college stats look great (20 points, 8 boards, and 4 assists a night on 48/34/80 shooting splits), and the Duke Blue Devils are 20-2, ranked #2 in the nation, and sure to be a high seed when March Madness tips off this spring.
But is the Kool-Aid that blue? Is Cooper Flagg for real? Or is he doomed to repeat the mistakes of similar Duke All-American performers of the past?
Mike Gminski.
Danny Ferry.
Christian Laettner.
All played their college ball at Duke University. All were All-Americans at least once. A lot of hype followed them from Duke to the NBA.
Most of them were picked high in their drafts: Redick was 11th in 2006, Gminski was 7th in 1980, Laettner was 3rd in 1992, and Ferry was 2nd overall in 1989.
And their pro careers left a lot of fans and franchises wanting more in the end.
In fact, they have only made ONE All-Star appearance collectively—Laettner earned a berth with the Atlanta Hawks in 1997.
None of them had their best career seasons with the team that drafted them. What does it all mean? Caveat Emptor. Or as the English say, "Let the buyer beware".
Duke's recent NBA successes aren't the 'white' guys
Duke has had former players like Elton Brand, Carlos Boozer, Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum, Zion Williamson, Paolo Banchero, and Brandon Ingram and Jalen Johnson have made the successful jump to the NBA. Most of them have been recognized with All-Star berths and led their teams to the playoffs.
Even guys like RJ Barrett, Jared McCain, Tyus Jones, Gary Trent Jr., Mark Williams, and Dereck Lively II, while not stars, are valuable contributors to their teams at the NBA level.
While some would argue that Cooper Flagg is no ordinary player and won't be another failed Duke overhyped player of the white variety, he does have much to prove at the NBA level if he wants to shelve that stereotype once and for all.
Pressure has crumbled even the very best college performers, Blue Devils or otherwise, as they found the pro level more difficult than expected. And Flagg will have the pressure from Day 1 in the NBA. There will be no grace period.
As the NCAA Tournament and March Madness descends upon us, the hype train surrounding Cooper Flagg is likely to grow faster and louder, especially if Duke makes a deep tournament run. This is when fact and fiction usually become intertwined, leading to selections of players who may not be ready for the biggest stage in basketball, the NBA.
Flagg had better be the real deal. If he's just another overhyped Duke player, whoever gets him in June will be sorely disappointed.