Coach K shared his views on the Duke Blue Devils' Cooper Flagg while speaking to NCAA correspondent Andy Katz in an exclusive interview for Bleacher Report. Mike Krzyzewski commended the 18-year-old's drive to improve, the support he gives to his teammates and his commitment to giving a hundred percent in practice.
Krzyzewski, with a net worth of $45 million (as per Celebrity Net Worth), highlighted several key factors that he believes make Flagg one of the most unique basketball talents today
"I go to some of the practices there, it's never a lull and he plays both ends of the court," Coach K said (Timestamp: 1:28). "He's unselfish, he does not have a position, he is a positionless player. We don't have a true point guard. Jon (Scheyer) has a system where a number of guys have it."
"He has the ball more and he's getting it more and more, and as a result, it's not just him scoring, but his passing... Every time he has the ball, Andy, the next thing that happens with the ball is a good decision - a pass, a shot, a dribble. He's just such a smart player. He's terrific."
Flagg committed to Duke as the top recruit in the nation. Even before he stepped into the Blue Devils practice facility, the then-17-year-old made waves in the global basketball community by suiting up for the Select Team and impressing fans and stars on Team USA's Olympic roster.
Coach K believes Cooper Flagg's hype was lower than Zion Williamson
Even before Cooper Flagg stepped into his first college basketball game, the youngster was labeled the best player in the Division I circuit. CBS Sports conducted a poll in Aug. 2024, asking more than 100 coaches about the best player in the D1 space. Flagg had the highest share of votes with 36%.
Nevertheless, Coach K believes that fans were more hyped about Zion Williamson's debut than Flagg's.
"There's not even a glimpse of anything negative. There's no negative DNA in his room. He came in with hype, not as much as Zion, because Zion's was like - you couldn't believe that body type could do all that."
Cooper Flagg has been the frontrunner for the top pick in the 2025 NBA draft all season long. He is currently averaging 19.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks across 18 games.
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