"Ace Bailey will end up a better player than Cooper Flagg”: College hoops fans debate after NBA insider’s latest mock draft

Cooper Flagg was at the top of NBA insider Jonathan Wasserman's latest mock draft for Bleacher Report, which they posted on the BR Hoops Instagram page on Tuesday. The Duke Blue Devils star retained his previous position and was projected to be selected by the Washington Wizards with the No. 1 overall pick.

A pair of talented Rutgers Scarlet Knights followed Flagg on the list, with Dylan Harper projected to go to the New Orleans Pelicans with the second overall selection and Ace Bailey tipped to head to the Utah Jazz with the No. 3 pick. Baylor's VJ Edgecombe and Duke's Khaman Maluach completed the top five, with the Charlotte Hornets and the Toronto Raptors projected to land them.

College hoops fans debated the list, which also included Michigan State's Jase Richardson going to Utah with the No. 21 pick, Michigan's Danny Wolf heading to the Atlanta Hawks with the No. 23 pick and North Carolina's Ian Jackson moving to the Boston Celtics with the 28th overall selection.

College hoops fans debated Bleacher Report's latest 2025 NBA Mock Draft on Instagram. Source: Instagram/@br_hoops

"Ace will end up a better player than Flagg," one fan wrote.

"Coop is by far the best player in college ball and at his age is better than anyone ever!" one fan claimed.

"Maluach at 5 is crazy he needa come another season ngl," one fan commented.

More fans reacted to specific players' places in the mock draft.

"Danny Wolf that low is crazy to me, 7 footer with that much playmaking has to be goin higher," one fan posted.

"Do not let Ian Jackson fall to the Celtics," one fan shared.

"Jase over Ian is NASTY WORK," one fan wrote.

Comparing Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey's numbers this 2024-25 NCAA season

It isn't a surprise to see Cooper Flagg retain his No. 1 position in the latest NBA mock drafts, as he has lived up to the hype in his freshman season for the third-ranked Duke Blue Devils. He leads the team not only in scoring but also in rebounds, assists and blocks.

Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) listens to head coach Jon Scheyer during the game against Clemson at Littlejohn Coliseum. Photo: Imagn

Cooper Flagg is averaging 19.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks through 23 games, leading Duke to an impressive 20-3 start. He has scored at least 20 points 12 times this season, including a 42-point explosion against Notre Dame on Jan. 11.

Ace Bailey has also produced stellar numbers for Rutgers in his freshman year, averaging a team-best 19.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per contest. He has recorded seven double-doubles this season.