The Duke Blue Devils have been one of the most dominant college basketball teams in the country this season, and a big reason for that is the play of true freshman Cooper Flagg.
Heading into Friday's NCAA Tournament game against Mount St. Mary's, Flagg-the former No. 1 overall high school recruit (247Sports)-led Duke in all five major statistical categories: points (18.9), rebounds (7.5), assists (4.1), steals (1.5), and blocks (1.3).
With his time as a Blue Devil winding down, all eyes are on him as he's widely projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in June's NBA draft. While his game is among the most polished in this year's class, there's always room for growth.
In a recent ESPN article, NBA draft insiders Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo revealed that NBA executives believe Flagg needs to improve in "crunch-time situations."
"The question about Flagg has always been: How deep is his bag as a shot creator? Is he a guy who can go get you a bucket in the late clock? Can you run your offense through him and expect him to be a go-to guy in money time?" an executive from a Western Conference team said.
An Eastern Conference general manager pointed out his two slips when the game was on the line earlier this season.
"There's not many holes [in his game]," an Eastern Conference GM added. "He'll guard all over the floor, can pass, can put it on the floor, and he'll have better players around him, more space in our league. The only thing to knock is he's had chances to go win the game, and has slipped on the floor two or three times trying to make the play."
This season, Flagg earned 2025 ACC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors while also securing spots on the All-ACC First Team, ACC All-Defensive Team, and ACC All-Rookie Team.
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This story was originally published March 21, 2025 at 12:57 PM.