The No. 1 seed Duke Blue Devils are coming off an impressive victory in the Sweet 16 against the No. 4 seed Arizona Wildcats, where freshman Cooper Flagg dominated, scoring a team-high 30 points, while adding seven assists, six rebounds, and three blocks.
Now, with the Elite Eight matchup taking place Saturday night against the No. 2 seed Alabama Crimson Tide, former NBA legend and current TNT personality Charles Barkley weighed in on Flagg's performance during an interview on the "Dan Patrick Show" on Friday, making his opinion of the Newport, Maine, star extremely clear.
"This kid is really talented, he's really smart, I can't wait to meet him," Barkley said. "He seems like a really nice kid because he could have had - what in my day we called - a 'big head.'
He was the best high school player in the country, came in with all the pressure on him, but he's lived up to the hype. He hasn't had any missteps - people are out to get you when you're famous, especially when you're a 17- or 18-year-old kid. But I'm not going to compare.
It would be a disservice for me to compare him to a great NBA player. He's a pleasure to watch... he’s a terrific young player, he looks amazing on television, and I can’t wait to see him in the NBA."
Flagg has faced immense pressure to live up to being viewed as the consensus No. 1 overall pick in June's NBA draft, and he has certainly risen to the occasion. Not only did he lead Duke to both the ACC regular season and tournament titles, but he also earned USBWA National Player of the Year honors, as well as ACC Player and Rookie of the Year.
This season, Flagg is averaging 19.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.4 steals. He's led the entire roster in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, and minutes played. Now, he is just three wins away from guiding Duke to its first national title since 2015.
UConn Huskies celebrate their 2024 National Championship.
UConn Huskies celebrate their 2024 National Championship.