WATCH: Duke commit Cooper Flagg sweats it out on court against Raptors' star RJ Barrett
Duke Blue Devils commit Cooper Flagg is one of the most highly anticipated prospects for next season's college basketball class. The No. 1 ranked star has been hyped as the next great Duke hope due to his athleticism and talent.
Flagg was extensively recruited before deciding to join coach Jon Scheyer's project at Duke, where he is part of the No. 1 recruitment class in the country alongside forward Khaman Maluach.
Most recently, Overtime's Instagram account posted an intense workout video of Cooper Flagg battling it out one versus one against Toronto Raptors star RJ Barrett.
The post was captioned:
"Coop grinding with the pros now 😳 @cooper_flagg @rjbarrett (via @mvabasketball)."
The Cooper Flagg hype train rolls on
Cooper Flagg has had a lot of hype for over two years now, and as time goes by, it's only getting louder as the time for him to join the Duke Blue Devils in time for next season draws closer.
During an appearance on "NBA Today," ESPN analyst Austin Rivers suggested an unprecedented move for Team USA's Olympic roster.
"Grab Cooper Flagg, hell, make him the 12th guy," Rivers said.
"The experience it would give him. You're talking about grooming players for tomorrow and what that experience would do for these young talented players, especially in a draft class where you don't have a lot of star power. Throw the biggest star in there, throw Cooper Flagg in there, it makes sense. Grant Hill is a Dukie, get it done."
The last and only player to have ever accomplished the feat of being picked for Team USA for the Olympics without ever having set foot in the NBA was Duke forward Christian Laettner, who was picked into the 1992 Dream Team.
The sheer suggestion that Flagg should be picked for the Olympics team alongside stars like LeBron James and Stephen Curry before he has even made his college basketball debut shows just how highly regarded he already is.
The attention that the Duke commit has mustered so far has also brought its fair share of negativity while being compared to other stars of his class like Cameron Boozer.
The fact that Flagg will play for the Duke Blue Devils will elevate both the scrutiny and criticism that he faces. During a recent interview with "Hoops Hype," he demonstrated his readiness to deal with the stardom.
"I really don’t care what anybody says," Flagg said. "I’m just ready to go out and play basketball. Honestly, when people want to hate and say bad stuff, it kinda makes me play better and fuels me to go harder."
All eyes will be on Cooper Flagg next season, as he has been hailed as the great draft hope of the class of 2025 after what is widely considered a weak draft class this year.