Cooper Flagg sweats it out on court with LeBron James, Anthony Edwards and others during USA select team training scrimmage
The USA Select Team, which includes Cooper Flagg, has been scrimmaging against Team USA in preparation for the 2024 Summer Olympics. This gives players like the incoming freshman for the Duke Blue Devils the opportunity to improve their game before even stepping foot on a collegiate court.
At 17 years old, he is getting the chance to play against future Naismith Basketball Hall of Famers like LeBron James and Stephen Curry, as well as other stars like Anthony Davis and Anthony Edwards.
In a video posted by Overtime on X, Flagg got a bucket off a short jumper set up by Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski as NBA MVP Joel Embiid was unable to contest.
This experience is only going to make Cooper Flagg a more complete player as he is learning what it is going to take to play amongst the greats that the National Basketball Association has to offer. That is before he even plays a single game for the Duke Blue Devils.
Flagg had an excellent high school career as in two years playing at the varsity level for the Montverde Academy Eagles, he did well. He appeared in 58 games as he finished with 13.6 points, 3.8 assists, 7.5 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 2.7 blocks per game thus far.
How will the Duke Blue Devils look this season with Cooper Flagg on the roster?
The Duke Blue Devils are one of the big title favorites heading into the 2024-25 college basketball season. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, they currently hold the fourth-highest odds to win the NCAA Tournament next season at +1200. The three teams with better odds are the Kansas Jayhawks (+1000), Alabama Crimson Tide (+1000), and UConn Huskies (+1000).
With the addition of Cooper Flagg headlining the incoming freshman class, there are still some incredible talents as center Khaman Maluach, forward Isaiah Evans, guard Darren Harris and center Pat Ngongba are all expected to join as well. This team should be able to dominate throughout the season after being upset in the Elite Eight against the NC State Wolfpack a year ago.
Flagg getting a chance to really step up and essentially replace the production from guard Jared McCain is critical. With guys like Jeremy Roach returning to Duke this season, there is a lot of excitement coming out of the program.
Cooper Flagg is going to be an excellent player right away in college basketball and should be an early candidate for ACC Player of the Year.