John Fanta
College Basketball Broadcaster and Reporter
While sitting courtside at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night and watching Cooper Flagg take the big stage in New York City as Duke beat Illinois 110-67, it became abundantly clear that we are witnessing a truly special talent. It’s incredible to watch how easy the game comes to the 6-foot-9 Duke freshman, who only had one field goal in the first half, but when the final buzzer sounded, he finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists in a dominant win.
Throughout the history of college basketball, we have never seen a freshman lead their team in every major statistical category and reach the NCAA Tournament. Right now, outside of Auburn (+325), Duke has the second-best odds to cut down the nets in San Antonio, listed at +425. Flagg, who is currently averaging 19.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.1 blocks per game, is tracking to do a lot more than just make the Big Dance.
This Blue Devils team is so well-rounded, featuring another potential top-five pick in Khaman Maluach as a rim protector, a dynamic lead guard in Tyrese Proctor, an ultra-competitive top-10 pick in Kon Knueppel, a bulldog guard in Sion James and more. This looks like Duke’s best shot to win a title in a decade and reclaim their place on the throne in college basketball. But let’s turn the focus back to Flagg, who, for all intents and purposes, will be the No. 1 pick. I collected some thoughts from NBA front office executives, scouts and college coaches on what they’ve seen from the man they call “The Maine Event.”
“He’s really, really good. What I love about him the most is he’s a team guy,” one NBA general manager told FOX Sports. “He epitomizes the idea of a winning player and does what his team needs that game. Cooper is somebody that you would love to play with, and he plays hard consistently every possession. The sky’s the limit for him and he’s the reason why Duke is my favorite to win it all.”
One ACC coach who faced Flagg this year shared a similar sentiment, complimenting Flagg’s competitive spirit:
“Cooper is the ultimate competitor with every skill set known to man. The skill that goes unmentioned the most is his competitive nature. After a few more years of repping his jump shot, he will be a high-end NBA All Star. At the college level, he is the ultimate mismatch. If he stayed at Duke, it would be worth 10s of millions of dollars to college basketball. If he leaves, I will celebrate.”
Where does Flagg rank among the top NBA prospects in history? The consensus from the 10 scouts that I talked with is that he is the best prospect since Zion Williamson in 2019. Williamson, the last freshman to win National Player of the Year and only the third player to do so all-time (Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant), averaged 23 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks per game during his freshman season at Duke. The team of Williamson, RJ Barrett, Cam Reddish & Co. reached the Elite Eight. Flagg has a chance to surpass everybody – even Davis – by winning a title.
With that, here’s my latest NBA Mock Draft:
1. Washington Wizards: Cooper Flagg, Duke
The Wizards are 10-48 and Flagg alone isn’t going to be the savior, but you’ve got to start somewhere. As one evaluator told me, Flagg is a guaranteed No. 2 option on a team and could be an elite No. 1 with upside. He will be one of the NBA’s top defenders, boasting a wingspan of over 7-feet and being able to guard all five positions extremely well for an 18-year-old.
2. Utah Jazz: Dylan Harper, Rutgers
The Jazz have the second-worst offensive efficiency rating in the NBA and their needs are bountiful, but I would go with a tremendous guard and a player who is wired to be a shotmaker and playmaker in Harper. He’s averaging 19/4/4 per game, something that’s not easy to do in the physical league that is the Big Ten. With his 6-foot-6 build and feel for the game, he checks off a lot of boxes.
3. New Orleans Pelicans: Ace Bailey, Rutgers
The 6-10 Bailey plays like a guard and is averaging 18 points and seven rebounds per contest while showing the ability to take over games with a trio of 30-plus point showings on the year. While there are some slight concerns about his ball-handling ability, the essence of a high-level shotmaker at his size with so much defensive upside because of his measurables makes him a top-three pick.
4. Charlotte Hornets: Tre Johnson, Texas
The 6-6 Texas freshman has been an absolute bucket for the Longhorns, averaging over 20 points per game with three rebounds and three assists as well. He’s so refined for a freshman, showcasing a consistent ability to create his own shots and get to the spots he needs to in order to flourish. In an offense that often uses isolation, Johnson is shooting 44% from the floor and 37% from 3. His knack for scoring, combined with the fact that he’s 18, makes him a terrific modern-day player in this league with room for growth as well.
5. Toronto Raptors: Derik Queen, Maryland
“I think Derik Queen is the biggest riser of this year’s draft class,” one scout told me.
“He has an understanding of the game that is well beyond his years and that’s what leads me to believe he’s top-10 worthy,” an NBA front executive said.
The Raptors could use a big man and while there’s a debate with Duke’s Khaman Maluach as well, I could see Queen being the pick. It could be surprising to some, but his shooting ability and physicality give him some really strong potential. Averaging 16 points, nine rebounds and two assists per game, Queen recently went for a combined 53 points in back-to-back wins over Rutgers and Nebraska. He has some Moses Malone in him with the style he plays with. He’s a total throwback.
6. Philadelphia 76ers: VJ Edgecombe, Baylor
While the Sixers will have Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain to lead the backcourt next year, the 6-5 Edgecombe is a superb athlete and a really strong defensive player for a 19-year-old. On the offensive end, the Bears’ freshman can provide a burst to an offense with his driving ability, averaging 15 points, five rebounds and three assists per game. While his perimeter shot needs to improve, his athleticism to find an edge against a defender makes him a prospect that could easily go fourth or fifth.
7. Brooklyn Nets: Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma
A 3-level scorer with a strong ability to change pace and make plays for his teammates, the 6-4 Fears is only 18 years of age and has the upside to be a real dark horse in this year’s draft. To be averaging 16 points, four rebounds and four assists with the workload he has on a Sooners squad that is in the back half of the SEC has been very impressive.
8. Chicago Bulls: Khaman Maluach, Duke
The 7-2 freshman takes so much away from his opponents defensively. His elite rim protection skills and instincts on that end of the floor give him top-five upside. For a Bulls team that has more of a scoring big man in Nikola Vucevic, who isn’t really the long-term answer at the center position, Maluach could be the franchise answer.
9. San Antonio Spurs: Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois
Jakucionis could go as high as No. 3, or he could fall as low as No. 9. He’s a 6-6 combo guard who impacts the game in so many ways with his unique skill set and IQ, averaging 15 points, six rebounds and five assists per game while shooting 47% from the floor. My concern as to why he could fall is due to the turnover problems he’s faced at the college level, giving the ball away four times per game. That said, he would check off so many boxes in the pick-and-roll with Victor Wembanyama. There might not be a better fit for an organization besides Flagg at No. 1 than Jakucionis going to the Spurs, but we will see how things evolve.
10. Portland Trail Blazers: Liam McNeeley, UConn
The Blazers front office certainly knows Dan Hurley and his staff after taking Donovan Clingan with the seventh overall pick last June. In Portland’s rebuilding efforts, perimeter shooting is still a need that is clear as day. The Blazers are in the bottom six of the NBA in 3-point percentage, and McNeeley could bring a boost to that while being a solid two-way wing who plays the game beyond his years. His recent 38-point, 10-rebound performance to charge Connecticut past Creighton in Omaha on Feb. 11 was an all-out display of his ability to take over games. McNeeley shattered the UConn single-game scoring record for a freshman in a Big East contest, set by Rip Hamilton during the 1996-97 season. His 6-7 frame, combined with his ability to be coached and instincts give him top-10 potential.
11. San Antonio Spurs (via Hawks): Asa Newell, Georgia
12. Houston Rockets (via Suns): Kon Knueppel, Duke
13. Atlanta Hawks (via Kings): Egor Demin, BYU
14. Miami Heat (via Warriors): Noa Essengue, Ratiopharm Ulm
15. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Heat): Will Riley, Illinois
16. Orlando Magic: Ben Saraf, Ratiopharm Ulm
17. Utah Jazz (via Timberwolves): Carter Bryant, Arizona
18. Dallas Mavericks: Nolan Traore, Saint-Quentin
19. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Pistons): Rasheer Fleming, Saint Joseph’s
20. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Clippers): Noah Penda, Le Mans
21. Brooklyn Nets (via Bucks): Boogie Fland, Arkansas
22. Indiana Pacers: Thomas Sorber, Georgetown
23. Brooklyn Nets (via Rockets): Nique Clifford, Colorado State
24. Atlanta Hawks (via Lakers): Donnie Freeman, Syracuse
25. Washington Wizards (via Grizzlies): Danny Wolf, Michigan
26. Brooklyn Nets (via Knicks): Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina
27. Orlando Magic (via Nuggets): Jaland Lowe, Pittsburgh
28. Boston Celtics: Ian Jackson, North Carolina
29. Los Angeles Clippers (via Thunder): Kanon Catchings, BYU
30. Phoenix Suns (via Cavaliers): JT Toppin, Texas Tech
John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him at @John_Fanta.
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Read the full article here
