Cooper Flagg has undoubtedly lived up to the hype. So it appears that the freshman phenom from Duke will be the top choice in this year’s NBA draft.
Illinois’ coach, Brad Underwood, has a different approach.
“I hope he remains in school. “I mean, if I’m the NCAA or the ACC, I’m figuring out a NIL deal to keep that dude in school, because he’s everything that’s right about our game,” Underwood remarked.
“Someone told a story about it. I hope he stays. Man, he would be fantastic. He could certainly earn more here than in the NBA. He also has incredibly good people around him, which helps.”
Flagg recorded 16 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in his Madison Square Garden debut, which featured around 50 professional scouts and several great prospects. Duke romped to a 110-67 victory so lopsided that coach Jon Scheyer emptied his bench in the final minutes as thrilled Blue Devils fans screamed, “Our house! Our house!”.
The Blue Devils (24-3) scored their most points since a 113-49 win over Stetson in December 2018, playing in front of a sellout crowd of 19,812 just steps from Broadway. They’ve won eight straight at The Garden, often known as “The World’s Most Famous Arena.”
“I thought it was an incredible atmosphere,” Flagg said after Duke’s biggest victory at MSG. “I loved the enthusiasm. “I saw so much blue in the crowd.”
Flagg played only 23 1/2 minutes as Duke gave Illinois its greatest lopsided loss in program history. Following the game, Underwood was asked if Maine’s 6-foot-9 forward is the best player in the country.
“Sure. “Not even close,” he replied.
So, why stay in school?
“He’s 18. He’s only 18 years old. Go have fun. Chase a girl. “I mean, just enjoy the opportunity,” Underwood stated. “I understand the whole situation. That’s set in stone; he’ll be who he is. And I’m just speaking randomly. I don’t know the kid or his family. But, gosh darn, dude, I am psyched for college basketball.”
Flagg led the Blue Devils in all five categories entering the game, averaging 19.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game.
“I don’t want to play against him anymore,” Underwood explained. “But I just think he’s really good, and now we have NIL and, man, he could really build a heck of a brand I would think.”