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When you walk through the hallways of Madison Square Garden, there are pictures of Muhammad Ali, Patrick Ewing, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen and countless other icons in sports and fun.
Saturday night, Cooper flagg He will step in the aura of MSG -ai to get a chance to make his mark. Future first overall choice in this June Nba The draft runs his number 3 ranks The Duke of Blue Devils in a classic sentinelon against Illinois on 20:00 et on fox.
Blue devils, who were 23-3 in the year and lost only one of November 2024, were guided by Flagg’s 17 points, 14 rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two stolen balls earlier this week this week 80-62 win Virginia. It is a pair for a 6-foot-9 flagg course, which now records 19.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.6 stolen balls and 1.2 blockade per game. No freshman in Faculty basketball History has run its team in every major statistical category and has played at the NCAA tournament. Flagg is following this and could eventually work much more than just appearing on a large dance floor.
To fill the statue of the List while you shoot 49% from the floor and 37% from the city center means that the one who owns the number 1 in this year’s draft gets a player who is the overall package. The fact that Flagg is only 18 years old and was supposed to be a member of the first class next year, does what he does so much more eyes.
“I just think it is locked that the elite option number 2 is in the NBA -with an emphasis that he would be number 1,” one NBA scout told Fox Sports. “With Cooper, he feels like a guarantee that he will contribute to the winning team in the NBA.”
What Flagg does extraordinary is his feeling and instincts to play, along with his ability to make so many winning plays at both ends of the floor. The extraordinary look makes it much more ordinary than it should. With a wing range of more than 7 feet, it has the ability to explode in a basket at the offensive end and change shots at a defensive end. He is the most gentle defensive potential we saw at the top of the draft in a few years and should join Kevin Durant,, Anthony Davis and Zion Williamson as the only freshmen who honored the national player of the year.
(Read more: What are the top 10 men’s basketball seasons by freshmen?)
The growth of flagging games as a scorer and playmaker was special to watch, but his maturity and selflessness is equally important. After playing with American basketball at training camp as a member of the selected team in front of Paris Olympics Last summer, the spotlights were never lighter on flagg. He treated it with ease, and the professionals noticed.
“To be able to do what he did, not even playing the game in college, let alone the NBA game, no fear,” Choose a team ahead Jaime Jaquez Jr. of Miami Heat said. “It’s relentless, and what you can say about him is that he just makes sense and will to win. He doesn’t need a ball. He just found his way to her. And the ball finds his way to him, it’s something you can’t learn.
Duke Jon Scheyer’s head coach doubled Jaquez’s comments, emphasizing Flagg’s ability to lead and always pick up his teammates.
“The most impressive is the fact that he is the same way every day,” Scheyer said in the field of 68 earlier this week. “His approach. He is competitive. He has energy. It’s loud as everyone in the gym. It just picks it all up.
“Many times as a coach, talk about the energy of practice or (speaking),” we have to pick it up. “That didn’t happen this year. The incredible job doing both of these things.”
It will be fascinating to see flagges under strong lights on Saturday against the Illinois team that hit the road blockade in the season, lowering the games back and now sitting in 9-8 in Big Ten. As much as this game looks like a difficult time to fight Illini, it may be a type of stage that the Underwood team should be pulled out of its funk.
What makes this match so intriguing is that there is another five perspective of the draft Kasparas JakucionisThe 6-foot-6 guard from Lithuania, which averages 15.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. His creativity and the length of the versatile guard made him a rise in this class. A high number of scouts will see in the garden on Saturday.
(Read more: 2025. NBA Draft no. 1 choice of chance: Dyland Harper who got the country on Cooper flagg)
Behind basketball, flagging story is something that goes beyond the norm for a top perspective. It is well documented, but I think the fact that it is from Newport, Maine can be overrated. The story of a small town and the modest beginnings of his son Maine Great, his mom Kelly, along with his father Ralph, who played at a college in Eastern Maine Community College, give him this extra dimension of crossing. His twin brother AS moves to Maine.
The reason why there was a Maine United team in Georgia on Peach Jam -in 2023 – the legendary Nike Eybl tournament – and the only reason why he will ever be Flagg, who lit his game in Atlanta by the Atlanta gym.
With a New Balance shoe contract, Mark Underdog in Normally Nike’s world of basketball sneakers, Flagg showed the world to carve their own path.
With Tirean proctor And a fellow freshman Kon KnueppelFlagg and Blue Devils have the right opportunity to show the world this April to San Antoni that Duke has returned to the top and that 37-year-old Jon Scheyer was actually perfect suitable for Mike Krzyzewski.
(Read more: Vojvoovo New King: Jon Scheyer Traveling to one of the biggest basketball jobs)
For now, these are strong MSG lights on Saturday night.
“He is a generational”, Sum Chief coach Steve Forbes said earlier this year when describing FLAGG. “I trained against some great career players. He would be one of them. I have a list of Kevin Durant or Derrick Rose or Kawhi Leonard. Flagg is at that level. “
One NBA scout said the best when I asked on Saturday what we should expect: “Cooper Flagg for now lives. Let the popcorn prepare you.”
John Fanta is national basketball television and a Fox Sports writer. It covers the sport in various capacities, from the invitation of the games to the FS1 to serving as the leading host on the Big East Digital Network to provide comments on the field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on @John_fant.
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2025-02-22 04:25:00
