Cooper Flagg vs Zion Williamson college stats - Comparing early careers of Duke star and 1st pick of 2019 NBA draft
Duke has had the luxury of recruiting some of the biggest stars in college basketball in recent years, like Cooper Flagg and Zion Williamson. Flagg is projected to be the top pick in the 2025 NBA draft by the Dallas Mavericks, unless they trade the pick.
The Blue Devils also have two other recent first picks. Paolo Banchero was selected first by the Orlando Magic in 2022 and Zion Williamson was picked first by the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019. At the time of the 2019 draft, Williamson was one of the most hyped players in recent years.
Although his NBA career has been mired by injuries, that does not take away from his success in college. Like Cooper Flagg, Williamson only played one season in college before going pro. Here is a look at how the two Duke stars performed in college.
Cooper Flagg vs Zion Williamson college stats
Cooper Flagg college stats
Cooper Flagg joined the Duke Blue Devils as the No. 1-ranked recruit in the 2024 class. He lived up to expectations, leading the team in scoring despite the team having two other players projected to go in the Top 10 of the draft, Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach.
Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals per game. He played a critical role in helping the Blue Devils reach the Final Four of March Madness.
Zion Williamson college stats
Zion Williamson was the No. 2-ranked recruit in the 2018 class behind RJ Barrett. However, Williamson went on to have a tremendous season and become the first pick in the 2019 draft. In his first and only season at Duke, Williamson averaged 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.8 blocks and 2.1 steals.
At the time, Williamson was viewed as a can't-miss prospect. So, while Cooper Flagg had an incredible freshman season, Williamson performed better. However, Flagg's performance translated to a better season for the Blue Devils.
With Flagg on the roster, Duke reached the Final Four of March Madness. However, with Williamson, the team only reached the Elite Eight.
It will be interesting to see if Flagg's college performance translates better to success in the NBA than Williamson's. Williamson is five seasons into his NBA career, and although he has been a great player from the start, averaging 24.7 points per game, he has struggled to remain healthy. He has played 30 games or fewer in three of those seasons, and only reached 70 games once.