Everyone's locked in on Cooper Flagg, and breaking down just how big a problem he will be on the court with the Blue Devils this season.
Cooper Flagg had 22 points , 2 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 blocks in his first college game, an exhibition against Lincoln .
To get a feel for his expected impact on the college game, we spoke to a handful of college coaches to get their impressions of the versatile forward, and how they might approach a matchup against Flagg and the Blue Devils.entering the 2024-25 college basketball season. He didn't attend ACC media day earlier this month but was still a consistent topic of conversation.
"When you're playing a guy that is so talented with the ball in his hands or such a dynamic shooter, you can at least maybe get to a point where you have strategy. But he's all over the court in so many different ways. He's so versatile. No matter what you try to do, he's going to beat you in other ways.""He plays a very complete game," he said."Very versatile defender. Really can guard a number of different positions.
"It's the passion that he displays. He plays hard, he plays to win. Those sorts of things can carry you in college games sometimes," one coach said."He has great size, he's big, he's almost 6-10... He can drive it, he can get on the glass, it's his passing and his playmaking. But the thing that's going to carry him the most is his relentlessness."
When asked which part of Flagg's game will work best in college, another coach said simply,"The whole thing is going to translate."Flagg's lone perceived weakness -- more of an inconsistency than a real weakness -- has been his 3-point shooting. In reality, the numbers don't quite bear that out. He shot 38% from beyond the arc at Montverde Academy last season, making more than one per game. Early word out of Duke has been positive for his shooting capabilities as well.
"More than the shooting, it's going to be a little bit of when to go, when not to go," a coach of one early-season opponent said."He's going to get in the paint. And now he has to learn to make reads in the paint. For anyone who has dominated at such a high level in high school, that will be the hardest thing for him.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Projected No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg was ‘hesitant’ in Duke debut, coach saysProjected No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg was 'hesitant' in Duke debut, coach says
Read more »
Duke Basketball: Cooper Flagg Proves Too Slick for HighlightCooper Flagg's ball-hawking defense may well be what'll make the 2024-25 Duke basketball team click.
Read more »
Duke freshman Cooper Flagg among those on preseason AP All-America teamMark Sears, RJ Davis, Hunter Dickinson, Johni Broome, Caleb Love and Cooper Flagg were named to the AP preseason All-America college basketball team.
Read more »
'Surreal Feeling': Cooper Flagg Blown Away by Celtics' Legend's EvaluationCooper Flagg's highly anticipated collegiate career with the Duke Blue Devils is soon to commence. Earlier this summer, he impressed while competing against a U.S. men's basketball team boasting stars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Jayson Tatum.
Read more »
Cooper Flagg Explains Spark to Longtime Duke Basketball FandomThe 2024-25 Duke basketball centerpiece rookie has been a Blue Devil fan all his life.
Read more »
2025 NBA Draft: Who Will Challenge Cooper Flagg For Top Pick?As it stands today Cooper Flagg is the favorite to be the first overall pick in the draft, but who are some prospects that could challenge him?
Read more »