For years, NBA scouts have deemed Cooper Flagg as the undisputed first-overall pick in the upcoming edition of the NBA Draft. The Duke product was viral long before committing to the Blue Devils.
Flagg has been solid for the most part during his first — and most likely only — season in college basketball. Even so, others are starting to have second thoughts about him.
According to NBA Draft expert Nic Thomas, scouts don’t feel like he’s the clear-cut best player in the nation right now, with Rutgers star Dylan Harper taking that spot.
Scout says Dylan Harper will be the No. 1 pick
“Cooper is an awesome prospect. Almost any other year he’d go number one. However, a guy like Dylan’s Harper is far more likely to go first,” the scout reportedly said.
Dylan Harper #2 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights celebrates defeating Notre Dame Fighting Irish 85-84 in overtime of their game during the Players Era Festival basketball tournament at MGM Grand Garden Arena on November 26, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Notably, he’s not the only one who feels that way. If anything, Thomas also believes that Flagg isn’t the best player in this class, and his choice would be Ace Bailey instead:
“I’m the same. Cooper is not going to be first on my next board, but he will be higher than Harper,” Thomas told another fan who responded to his story. “Ace is still my number one.”
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There’s still plenty of basketball to be played this season, so scouts might not feel the same way a couple of months from now. For now, it seems like there will be a big race to the top.
