Cooper Flagg vs Jayson Tatum college stats - Comparing 2 Duke stars' early careers
As the Cooper Flagg NBA hype machine ramps up, it becomes increasingly significant to figure out exactly who Flagg is like. As perhaps the foremost Duke player in the NBA and a fellow one-and-done, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum is a likely points of comparison. There's definitely some similarity in the games and back stories of the two. Here's a rundown on the history of the Duke stars.
Cooper Flagg vs. Jayson Tatum Comparison
Pre-Season Hype
Flagg was the No.1 consensus player in his recruiting class and was the No. 1 ranked player by 247sports.com's annual recruiting rankings. Flagg grabbed the top spot over Rutgers stars Ace Bailey (No. 2 overall) and Dylan Harper (No. 3 overall). His teammate Khaman Maluach was ranked fourth overall.
Tatum was the No. 8 ranked player in the 2016 class by 247sports. Interestingly, he wasn't even the top-ranked Duke recruit in the class, with Harry Giles being ranked third overall and Frank Jackson ranked fifth. The top player in the class was Kansas wing Josh Jackson.
Stats Comparison
Tatum sprained his foot before the season and thus missed the first eight games of Duke's season. He did start his debut game and was a mainstay of the Blue Devil season thereafter. Tatum averaged 16.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. He shot 34% from 3-point range and 85% from the foul line.
Flagg's only injury issue was a sprained ankle in the first game of the ACC Tournament, which did cause him to miss two games. Flagg averaged 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. He shot 39% from 3-point range and 84% from the free throw stripe.
Team Success
Tatum's 2016-17 Duke team ended up posting a 28-9 record and ending its season in a second-round NCAA Tournament loss to South Carolina 88-81. Duke was ranked seventh in the final AP poll of that season.
Flagg's 2024-25 squad went 35-4 and reached the Final Four, albeit after a tough 70-67 national semifinal loss to Houston. Duke was ranked third overall in the final AP poll of the season.
Draft Situation
Tatum was picked third in the 2017 Draft by the Boston Celtics. The two players chosen ahead of him, Markelle Fultz by the 76ers and Lonzo Ball by the Lakers, are largely regarded as busts, particularly Fultz. Tatum is one of six NBA All-Stars from his draft class. He leads them all in NBA points and rebounds and is third among 2017 draftees in assists, behind DeAaron Fox and Donovan Mitchell.
The Celtics had won 53 games and reached the Eastern Conference Finals before drafting Tatum. He has never played on a team that finished with a losing record and has won an NBA title.
Flagg is likely to be picked by Dallas, which is a decent situation for a top pick, but not at Tatum's level. Dallas did reach the NBA Finals last season, but parted with Luka Doncic this year. Still, Flagg will team with Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving and others.
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