Cooper Flagg arrived at Durham with a lot of buzz. He was the top-ranked player in the country, and many predicted that he would become the greatest player in the country. He lived up to the hype and then some. Flagg will go down as one of the best freshman in Duke history.
Individual talent has always been abundant in college basketball, and every one of the 364 teams has a genuine star who is highlighted on the opposing team’s scouting report. Some clubs have superstars on every squad, but that will never change. Most people connect Kentucky, Duke, Michigan State, Purdue, North Carolina, and UConn with having superstars on their rosters, and those teams typically do have a large number of players who are regarded as superstars.
The Duke Blue Devils are the only team in the past 15 years to have several players who have drawn media recognition as the greatest college basketball player or the greatest freshman in history. Everyone who reads this is familiar with the players I am referring to. Cooper Flagg came after Zion Williamson and Jayson Tatum. When we look at the data in a little time, you’ll realise that Flagg isn’t all that far off being the best freshman to play college basketball, so I’m going to take a pretty safe bet and say that he is the best freshman Duke has ever had.
Flagg had Zion Williamson-level hype when he arrived at Duke, but for a variety of reasons. Williamson brought a fan base with his highlight-reel dunks and raw athleticism. The forward, it turned out, was everything he was meant to be and had to watch TV. Flagg was the nation’s top recruit, would have been selected first in the draft right out of high school, and was praised for his talent by all of the media that knows what they’re talking about. Some would have dismissed it since we’ve all heard the story of exceptional high school students who lose their spark in college, particularly if they’re as gifted as everyone said Flagg was.
The freshmen is great, in case you haven’t been watching. No one has seen a player with Flagg’s level of talent in a long time, especially as a freshman, therefore it is difficult to put into words how good he is. I don’t think Johni Broome is as certain of winning the National Player of the Year award as we all originally believed. A month ago, the award was almost finalised and was scheduled to go to Broome at Auburn on February 18, 2025. Flagg is rapidly catching up and is not far behind.
The rookie sensation did something that the ACC hasn’t seen in 25 years in the first half of the Blue Devils’ most recent game against Virginia. Flagg finished with 30 blocks, 100 assists, and 500 points. It took him 26 career games to attain the milestone. He is one of just three players, along with Dwayne Wade and Ben Simmons, to reach 450 points, 150 rebounds, 100 assists, 40 steals, and 25 blocks in their first 25 games. This goes even further. Only three other athletes this century have accomplished what Flagg is doing while wearing a Duke uniform.
This year, Flagg is fantastic, but Tatum and Zion ought to have performed better, right? The game is quite different for each of those three players, so I’m not here to tell you who was better, but Flagg is setting records. Tatum spent a season at Duke as well. He did his share of dominated the ACC before moving on to the NBA and ruling that league. Tatum only scored 488 points overall, but like Flagg, he led Duke in scoring during his one season. Despite having just 63 assists, the Celtics star did reach the block barrier with 33. Before Zion came up, Tatum was the finest Duke player I could recall seeing.
Surely Zion’s numbers must be comparable to Flagg’s? Yes, in response to that. In terms of influence and skill, Zion was extremely similar to Flagg. Williamson only had 68 assists despite having 746 points and 59 blocks. However, these were Zion’s totals for the entire season. Flagg is expected to surpass all of Zion’s numbers. As of right now, Flagg has 201 rebounds, 31 blocks, and 511 points. The rookie guard will be able to overtake Zion in points if he keeps up his 20 points per game and they advance to the ACC championships and then the Elite Eight. As everyone is aware, the game is much more than just scoring points.
Flagg’s numbers in just 26 games show that he has a greater impact on the game than his teammates. Tatum played 29 and Zion played 33. The Blue Devils under Flagg are playing better than any Duke squad in the previous ten years and appear to be a serious contender for the National Title once more. On a fantastic squad, Zion put up incredible numbers before being wounded. Additionally, Tatum was a member of a strong squad that was eliminated early in the NCAA playoffs.
If you’re a Duke supporter, it doesn’t matter who you think. He will finish this season as a consensus All-American, ACC Player of the Year, and Defensive Player of the Year, if his closest comparisons at Duke are any indication. History always teaches us something.Flagg will undoubtedly win the ACC Player of the Year, National Freshman of the Year, and All-American honours. Will he be able to apprehend Johni Broome? For now, let’s all agree that Flagg is the greatest person to ever wear the blue and white, but only time will tell.
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