Cooper Flagg was one of the best NBA Draft prospects of all time coming out of Duke after starring as a young freshman for the Blue Devils.
The Dallas Mavericks lucked into the lottery for the No. 1 pick, and Flagg has been advertised as an NBA rookie.
Somehow, though, he’s still getting disrespect.
TNT college basketball analyst Jamal Mashburn said this weekend that Flagg would be the sixth-best freshman in college basketball this season.
Excuse us — what?
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Hoops writer Josh Eberley summed up the correct take on the matter like this:
“Sure Cooper Flagg is scoring 49 in the NBA, but could he score 19 against this Kansas defense?” https://t.co/2uAB4CC4Zu
— Josh Eberley 🇨🇦 (@JoshEberley) February 1, 2026
Flagg was the best player in the country as a freshman.
Sure, Cameron Boozer and AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson and Caleb Wilson and Keaton Wagler and Kingston Flemings and Nate Ament and Mikel Brown and the list goes on… they’re really, really good.
The freshman class as a whole is astounding.
But Flagg, who was 17 to start his freshman year of college, would’ve been as good as any of them.
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Even if you want to argue against him being No. 1 if he was a year back with all these guys, the sixth-best? Come on, man.
Put some respect on Cooper Flagg’s name.
