Cooper Flagg is, by most standards, the best player in all of college basketball. The Duke Blue Devils have been almost impossible to beat, and his talent and physical traits are just mesmerizing.
So far, he’s averaged 19.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game on almost 37% from beyond the arc. That’s why he’s projected to be the first-overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Nevertheless, Illinois coach Brad Underwood believes he could end up being a legend if he decided to return to college, just like Caitlin Clark was forced to do at Iowa because of the WNBA Draft’s eligibility rules.
College coach says Cooper Flagg could be the Caitlin Clark of male college basketball
“If he stayed in school, he would be the face of college basketball and elevate basketball to the levels Caitlin Clark did on the female side” Underwood said.
This speaks volumes about Clark’s massive impact on the game. It might be the first time someone has claimed that a male hooper could end up being the next big thing by comparing him to his female counterpart.
Even so, regardless of what Cooper said about wanting to be back next season, the chances of him forgoing the NBA Draft and staying for another year seem quite slim.