3 NCAA stars who could dethrone Cooper Flagg from NBA Draft’s projected no. 1 pick

Duke freshman Cooper Flagg, a combo guard from Newport, Maine, has been widely projected as the potential first pick in the 2025 NBA draft. Flagg ticks all the boxes to be a future NBA superstar — standing 6-foot-9 with lethal shooting accuracy and defensive abilities.

However, while Flagg is poised for stardom, there are other elite NCAA players with the talent and potential to challenge him for the top draft slot. The draft is still almost a year away hence several players can rise to the pick depending on how things go this college basketball season.

Here are three players who could steal Cooper Flagg's No. 1 pick.

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Three college basketball stars who might dethrone Cooper Flagg

#1 Ace Bailey

Just like Flagg, Ace Bailey is another top recruit from this year's class. He committed to play for Rutgers last year.

The 6-foot-10 combo guard attended Boyd-Buchanan School before transferring to McEachern in Georgia. While Bailey doesn't have the same level of achievements as Flagg, the young hooper's skills in scoring, defense and playmaking could make him a tough competitor for Flagg.

Ace Bailey averaged 33.4 points, 15.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game at McEachern last season, winning the Gatorade Player of the Year award for Georgia.

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#2 Dylan Harper

Another five-star recruit Rutgers' landed this year is Dylan Harper, a versatile and well rounded player. The 6-foot-6 point guard was a standout performer on the AAU circuit, averaging 19.5 points and 6.7 rebounds for the New York Renaissance.

Harper was named MVP in the Jordan Brand Classic and McDonald's All-American Game. According to 247Sports, he received nine scholarship offers from Division I programs. In December, he chose to join the Scarlets Knights, where his brother once played.

CBS' initial NBA mock draft released last week had the New Jersey native going third overall, behind Cooper Flagg and Baylor's VJ Edgecombe.

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#3 Nolan Traore

French wonderkid Noal Traore is another dark horse who could give Flagg a run for his money in the 2025 draft. ESPN's first mock draft projected him to be a lottery pick putting him in the top five overall.

Traore hasn't committed to any college in the United States despite having offers from Alabama, Gonzaga and Xavier. He spent four years playing for a Nationale Masculine 1 team Centre Federal before joining Saint-Quentin this year.

Traore took part in the Nike Hoop Summit all-star game in April, where he scored 18 points and dished out four assists.