"Dylan Harper is so much better than Cooper Flagg": College hoops fans engage in intense debate as Duke and Rutgers play on same day
While everyone thought that Cooper Flagg was a lock as the nation's best freshman, Dylan Harper has seemingly evened out the scene. The two first-year stars are often compared by fans on who could be the consensus No. 1 pick in next year's NBA draft, especially with how they are taking over their respective teams in their one-and-done stints.
With their individual performances on Tuesday, fans on social media have since raised the fact that Harper is not that far skill-wise from Flagg.
"Dylan Harper is better than Cooper Flagg," one fan claimed.
"Dylan Harper clears Cooper Flagg," another fan said.
"The gap between Dylan Harper and cooper Flagg is not as big as the media makes it seem man," a fan added.
Other fans have since raised that Harper has been shaking up the narratives on who could potentially be the No. 1 overall pick when all is said and done next year.
"I get the Ace Bailey, Cooper Flagg hype but Dylan Harper should be right in that mix for the 1st pick. He got buckets, he can pass and his defensive instincts," another fan explained.
"Dylan Harper with 15/6/3 and a 15 point lead over Penn state at half. Cooper Flagg with 4/6/2 and a 7 point lead over “Incarnate Word”. Who is chasing who as the top prospect again?," one fan wrote.
As the competition heats up between the two standouts, their Dec. 10 outings saw different outcomes. Harper had 24 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block for Rutgers' 80-76 win over Penn State. Meanwhile, Flagg posted just six points, eight rebounds, two assists and two stocks (steals + blocks). However, Flagg and Duke blew out the Incarnate Word Cardinals 72-46.
The parallels in their performances on Tuesday just go to show how Harper is steadily keeping up with Flagg. They'll have another go at it to pad on their freshman campaigns when Rutgers meets Seton Hall on Saturday while Duke takes on George Mason on Tuesday.
Dylan Harper vs. Cooper Flagg: 2024-2025 stats
6-foot-6 guard Dylan Harper is currently producing 23.1 markers, 4.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.0 steals per game as he helped the Scarlet Knights improve their record to 6-4 on the season.
For 6-foot-9 Cooper Flagg, he is averaging 17.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.7 spg and 1.3 bpg. His outstanding play has aided Duke to uncork an 8-2 record so far.
Both Harper and Flagg are nearing their first taste of conference play. As the competition heats up, the race for who could be the true No. 1 draft pick could intensify as well. Only time will tell who will truly be the standout freshman of the year and perhaps, chosen first.
Who do you think is likely to be the No. 1 overall draft pick next year: Cooper Flagg or Dylan Harper? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.