For years, NBA scouts have raved about Cooper Flagg. He has the physical tools to become a star at the next level, and his offensive talent and rim protection are mesmerizing.
Flagg is the most talked-about player in all of college basketball, and that’s not likely to change any time soon. If anything, the hype will get bigger as the tournament approaches.
Nevertheless, even despite his age, Dylan Harper could eventually take his spot atop the big boards. At least, that’s what NCAA expert Rob Dauster pointed out in DTF.
Dylan Harper could challenge Cooper Flagg in the NBA Draft
“I can’t get past that Dylan Harper’s kind of young for his age, right? He’s born in March of 2006, so he will turn 19 during the NCAA tournament, or actually more likely during the Big 10 tournament. He turns 19 in March,” Dauster said. “Cooper Flagg is not even 18 years old, yet he will turn 18 years old four days from today, Dec. 21. It’s the age thing. The 17 to 21 is when you do the most development as a basketball player. And I think that he is just scratching the surface of what he can be.”
Dylan Harper #2 and Jordan Derkack #0 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights react during the first half of their game against the Wagner Seahawks at Jersey Mike’s Arena on November 6, 2024 in Piscataway, New Jersey.
Even in spite of his age, and even though there are several other enticing players who look like potential stars in this stacked draft class, Dauters doesn’t see anybody else on Flagg’s or Harper’s level:
“I understand why people are enamored with Ace Bailey and, like, VJ Edgecombe and has been fun, and Liam McNeeley has been awesome. And there’s, like, a whole bunch of really good freshmen here, but like, I think it’s those two,” he concluded.
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Of course, drafting isn’t an exact science, and anything can fail. But for the time being, Harper and Flagg look as much as a certain thing as there can be in this league.
