The Duke Blue Devils are the team everybody loves to hate. It’s been like that since the dawn of college basketball, and chances are that’s not going to change in the future.
However, even their biggest detractors, and even fans of other programs, have to admit that Cooper Flagg has been absolutely sensational in his freshman season at Durham.
That’s why NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, who’s an Auburn alumnus, gave Flagg the nod over Johmi Boome as the best player in college basketball right now.
Charles Barkley chooses Cooper Flagg over Johni Broome
“Early in the year, Johni Broome was the clear-cut favorite, but I think his injury set him back” Barkley explained. “Duke has been unstoppable. When you’re on the best team in the country, that gives you an edge in these awards.”
Barkley says Johni Broome can be the best Auburn player ever
Even so, it’s not like he doesn’t like Broome. If anything, he believes he can still be the best player in program history, provided he leads the team to the top this season:
“If they win the national championship, I’d put him at the top. If they even get to the Final Four, he could still be considered the greatest Auburn player ever,” Barkley said.
Broome has been sensational this season, and so have the Tigers. Whether they will be able to get the job done when it matters the most remains to be seen, but there’s no reason to think that won’t be the case.