"Special talent" - Mark Sears raves about No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg's NBA potential (Exclusive)
Rising college basketball talent Mark Sears showered praise on fellow college basketball star Cooper Flagg and raved about his NBA potential. On Tuesday, Sears sat down with Sportskeeda's Mark Medina for an exclusive interview.
In the session, the Crimson Tide guard answered various questions about his career and peers. During one segment, Media asked Sears for his thoughts on Blue Devils' star player Cooper Flagg. Sears gave the potential number one pick in the 2025 draft his flowers.
"He's super talented. He can go offensively and defensively. One through five, he can guard. And he can play one through five. He's a special talent, for sure. He's a special, special talent," Sears said.
Sears had a great run with the Crimson Tide this season. He averaged 18.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists to lead his team Elite 8 in the NCAA Tournament. Unfortunately, the Duke Blue Devils, led by none other than Cooper Flagg, eliminated Sears and his team from the tournament after securing an 85-65 win against them on Mar. 29.
During his interview with Medina, Sears also touched on his feelings about rubbing elbows with the Blue Devils star after they knocked out his team.
"It was definitely tough. When I see him with Duke, I'm like, 'Oh man, they just put us out of the tournament!' That's the last person I want to see right now. But he's a good guy and a good person. We've been talking and laughing. So it's all good."
Cooper Flagg has been projected as the number one pick in the next NBA draft, but how the rest of the field plays out is majorly uncertain.
Cooper Flagg reveals his true thoughts on the 2025 NBA draft and his future
The Duke Blue Devils had a premature exit from this season's NCAA Tournament after the Houston Cougars defeated them (70-67) in the Final Four. On Friday, Cooper Flagg appeared as a guest on ESPN's "SportsCenter" and revealed his thoughts on his career's future.
"It was an incredible year. I met a lot of incredible people. Made a ton of great relationships that I'm going to have for the rest of my life, and I think now it's time for me to reflect. You know, take a couple days; take a week; take a month. Whatever it is for me. Talk to my parents, talk to the coaches and just really decide what's best for me," Flagg said.
It is still unclear whether the Blue Devils star would declare for the draft. He can opt to return to college and help his team make another championship run. However, most experts believe his draft stock won't get any better after the season he had just had, rendering it pointless.