‘He’s a basketball savant’: Cooper Flagg could thrive early at Duke — but there’s a catch

Duke freshman Cooper Flagg will be the second-youngest college player ever drafted to the NBA when he’s selected in June (he will be 18 years, 186 days old).

With his 18th birthday coming on Dec. 21, Flagg isn’t even old enough to vote in the upcoming presidential election. He’s also entering a college basketball landscape that has never been older or more competitive, as NIL and immediate eligibility via the transfer portal has allowed teams to load up on physically mature, highly experienced upperclassmen.

But even at such a young age, Flagg is the most hyped American freshman in years, rivaling only Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James back in 2003 for attention and accolades received as a high school recruit.

“I haven’t gone through this yet with a 17-year-old in this way,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer, who has had Flagg on campus since June, told ESPN this month.

“We’ve had 18-year-olds, we’ve had 19-year-olds. But being 17, a year early — it’s going to be a process. He’s going to go through some ups and downs. He’s going to have a terrific season, but there will be moments where he has to grow, and that’s what it’s all about. I have total belief when we step on the floor that we have the best player on the court, right away.”

Flagg’s 9-point, 4-rebound, 3-assist, 21-minute outing in a preseason win Sunday against Arizona State suggested as much. Flagg had some outstanding moments demonstrating his two-way versatility, intensity and budding skill, but also some of the things he needs to work on with his shot creation and shooting inconsistency, especially on a stacked Duke squad that is clearly the most talented roster in college basketball.

Other NBA players have been in Flagg’s shoes at such a young age — Tim Duncan at Wake Forest, GG Jackson II at South Carolina and even Shaquille O’Neal at LSU.

What can those players’ career arcs teach us about Flagg’s future, and how does his unique on-court game lend itself to exceedingly high expectations?

Let’s put all that history into context through an NBA draft lens, starting with a look at past comparisons.