"I saw flashes at USA" - Ex-Knicks guard spotlights Cooper Flagg & 2 more young prospects set to take over NBA
Cooper Flagg has been touted as the premier prospect in the 2025 pool throughout his time as a Duke Blue Devil and even before his appearances with Team USA over the summer. His skill set, both as a scorer and defender, has fans and players excited to see what he can do professionally, including one former NBA guard.
Austin Rivers was alongside elite talent during his 11-year NBA career, including stints with the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets, among others. Since retiring in 2023, Rivers has become an analyst. One of the topics he is most passionate about is examining young talent, either as rookies in the NBA or the top prospects, talking about what they could do in the league.
In an interview with Overtime, Rivers talked about the players he is most excited to watch development as the college basketball season continues. He brought up three names: Mikel Brown Jr. (a top 2025 recruit), V.J. Edgecombe (Baylor Bears) and Flagg.
Rivers spoke highly of Flagg's play, saying he saw glimpses of what he could be when he played against Team USA.
"I saw flashes at [Team] USA, but I didn't see it consistently," Rivers said. "I didn't know he could do some of the things he's doing right now."
Flagg has been dominant this season with the Blue Devils, leading the team in points, assists, rebounds, steals and blocks as a freshman. He has Duke in prime position to secure one of the top seeds in the NCAA Tournament and make a deep run.
As an NBA prospect, Cooper Flagg is a tantalizing talent and is almost guaranteed to be selected with the top overall pick when the draft rolls around. If he decides to enter his name in the draft pool, that is.
Is Cooper Flagg considering staying in college for another season?
In an interview with The Athletic, Cooper Flagg dropped a bombshell on the basketball world:
"I want to come back next year," Flagg said.
If Flagg decides to return to Duke for his sophomore season, it would be an unprecedented move. However, rumors have been swirling that Flagg doesn't want to be selected by some of the teams that are currently tanking their seasons in the hopes of receiving the top pick.
Flagg isn't the only top prospect considering staying. On the women's side, top players Paige Bueckers and Hannah Hidalgo are considering forgoing the WNBA draft to remain at school and take advantage of another year of the multi-million dollar NIL landscape.