During this March Madness, we are witnessing the presence of what could be the best freshman to ever play in NCAA basketball with Cooper Flagg, who continues his path toward a national title-a player destined to shine in the NBA and now receiving comparisons to the caliber of a future Hall of Famer.
The magic of the Duke player will carry over to the Final Four in San Antonio, where he will face off against a formidable Houston team, though before that, he earned some well-deserved praise.
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A star ESPN analyst praises Cooper Flagg
Jay Bilas, a big name at the sports network, made an appearance on The Ryen Russillo Podcast, where they discussed the freshman and his playing style, going so far as to compare him to Carmelo Anthony.
“‘Flagg is the best freshman, the most complete freshman Duke’s ever had. Nobody has done what he’s done as a freshman at Duke… And I can’t think of very many, you know, maybe say Carmelo Anthony at Syracuse or something,” Bilas said.
“There aren’t that many that have done what he’s done as a freshman… He’s a different cat competitively… He hasn’t been outplayed, which is pretty impressive,” he added.
This is a massive comparison simply by mentioning Carmelo Anthony alongside him, especially since ESPN recently reported that the former player was selected for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on the first ballot.
This weekend, the Duke Blue Devils will aim to reach the college basketball final, led by a Cooper Flagg who is the team’s most transcendent player.
Next weekend’s Final Four will showcase all four No. 1 seeds-a rare feat that’s only happened once before in NCAA Tournament history.
The lone precedent since seeding began in 1979 came in 2008, when Kansas, Memphis, UCLA, and North Carolina battled it out in the Final Four, coincidentally also in San Antonio.
This year stands out even further as the first time higher seeds swept the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight with a perfect 12-0 record, cementing a chalk-dominated tournament that culminates on the Riverwalk.
