Cooper Flagg Midseason Scouting Report: College basketball's finest still in the reckoning to claim 2025 NBA Draft's top spot 

Early in his freshman season, Cooper Flagg crumbled late in big moments. Crucial turnovers late against Duke and Kansas had some questioning his NBA potential as a lead initiator. We know how dominant Flagg is on defense, but can he evolve into a number one offensive option at the NBA level? Is he worth a number-one pick in an excellent draft?

These marquee moments combined with a few lackluster scoring games led some scouts to prefer Dylan Harper or Ace Bailey over Flagg. But Flagg, even during his struggles, showed enough goodness to be locked into the top spot of the 2025 NBA Draft and he’s continued to prove that as the season has gone on. Now, he’s one of college basketball’s best players as a recent 18-year-old, possibly winning National Player of the Year as one of the youngest basketball players in all of the NCAA.

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Cooper Flagg Midseason Scouting Report

Flagg’s conference numbers are patently absurd. Through 17 ACC games, Flagg averaged 21.4 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists on a sparkling 65.5% true shooting. He leads the country in Bart Torvik box plus-minus (16.3) during conference play all while harboring a huge 30.9% usage rate, which ranks seventh in the nation among high major players.

Historical context reinforces Flagg’s rarely seen dominance at the college level. Since 2008, Flagg has been the only high major freshman with a usage rate above 30% and a true shooting clip above 65% in conference play. No freshman across the past decade and a half has matched Flagg’s efficiency and offensive load. That’s highly telling of the player Flagg could develop into.

Flagg’s early season trial by fire prepared him to dominate conference opponents leading into March. His faults are often more visible than many prospects given they come on the ball, and Flagg has the ball in his hands more than almost any player in the country. Yet his early season blips have helped Flagg mature into a more controlled and dynamic ballhandler.

His turnover rate declined throughout the season, peaking at a rolling average of 19.8% in late November and down to 14.5% in late February. All of this comes with the aforementioned usage, and Flagg sees the ball on the perimeter often. According to Synergy, Flagg spends 44.9% of his possessions as a pick-and-roll handler, in isolations or spot-ups. Those are all lower-efficiency play types than cuts and off-ball actions, which renders his true shooting even more impressive.

When Flagg’s handle holds up, his driving flashes are tantalizing. He’s still not perfect here and Flagg too often takes rounded angles to the basket, but both of the warts are smaller than they were in November. Flagg doesn’t need an elite, point guard-esque handle to thrive as a creator. As long as Flagg can access his spots where he can win with his touch, explosiveness, and craft, his handling should end up sufficient.

Improved dribbling opens up two of Flagg’s other feature skills — shooting and passing. Some question Flagg’s shooting after a rough early season from beyond the arc. At his season low in mid-December, Flagg posted a 22.2% rolling 3-point percentage. That worried some on the basketball internet, but Flagg bounced back as a shooter, up to 37.5% on the season and hitting an absurd 44.6% of his triples in ACC play.

This shooting progression isn’t surprising, as we expected Flagg to regress positively as a shooter given his underlying indicators. Flagg was an excellent shooter before his time at Duke and even during the low moments, his touch, 3-point volume, and shot versatility all indicated the shooting growth that unfolded.

Flagg’s shot versatility is extremely rare for an 18-year-old, 6-foot-9 monster athlete. He’s drained 38.9% (7-18) of his triples off of screens this season and 38% (30-79) of all catch-and-shoot threes. While Flagg doesn’t shoot many pull-up threes — he’s attempted 22 of them this season — he shoots a robust 40.9% on those shots.

Adding a reliable off-dribble 3-point threat adds another layer to Flagg’s multifaceted offensive ceiling. He’s already a threatening off-ball shooter given his movement capabilities, but a genuine pull-up from deep would further unlock his driving game. Flagg’s best moments here are impressive, as his high release makes that shot tough to challenge.

Defenses can’t afford to sink under ball screens against Flagg if he’s shooting from distance like this. Flagg already dominates on drives as a scorer, shooting a solid 60% at the hoop with a 45% free-throw rate. When defenses overcompensate for Flagg’s scoring threat, he’ll punish them with his passing, which is arguably his best offensive skill.

His passing numbers are strong, posting a sturdy 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio with a 25.3% assist rate. Diving into the tape reveals Flagg’s elite passing traits, buoyed by a penchant for manipulating defenses with his eyes and body language.

He’s especially strong in seeking out layup passes, creating easy opportunities for his teammates at the basket. As his handle improves, Flagg will access more passing windows for lobs and laydowns. Vision hasn’t been Flagg’s problem, as he clearly processes the floor smoothly and sees a high degree of difficulty reads, which is an excellent sign of his potential as an NBA-caliber primary initiator.

Flagg dominates on the offensive end while anchoring Duke’s top-five defense. He often lapses off of the ball and gambles for steals and blocks, but almost all high-usage freshmen struggle to some extent on defense. His ground coverage, instincts, and explosion should help Flagg develop into an all-world defender.

Tossing Flagg into the fire early in the season has brought him to this point. As Duke pursues a national championship, that big game experience will serve Flagg well. There’s a chance Duke can end the season on the mountaintop, led by a special prospect in Flagg. If they can do that, his offensive initiation will help lock Flagg in as a once-in-a-generation prospect.