Analyst Jay Williams makes bold claim on impact of Cooper Flagg's Duke winning national championship

As the NCAA Tournament gets underway, one of the top contenders for the national championship this season are the Duke Blue Devils. All eyes are on the standout players who could leave a lasting impact on the biggest stage in college basketball. Leading the charge for Duke is Cooper Flagg.

Analyst Jay Williams, a former Duke standout himself, recently shared his thoughts on the impact Flagg could have if Duke captures the national title. During a segment on ESPN’s "First Take," Williams argued that a Duke championship win, led by Flagg, would create one of the biggest stories in college basketball history.

When asked which team’s championship victory would be the biggest story, Williams didn’t hesitate to pick Duke:

"I will say Duke … So what do we have happening in the NBA right now? Think about all the MVPs from the Yonases, the Jokers, Joelle Embiid, all international players being born, right? SGA when he wins it, Canadian. And what do we say we won the All-Star game? We say we won international players versus American players.

"Think about all the conversations that we had, regardless of whether the players like it or not, I hate it, but it's a real thing about who's gonna be the face of the league. Anthony Edwards says, 'I don't want it.'”

Williams highlighted that Flagg’s emergence as an American-born player from Maine could create a major cultural moment if he led Duke to a title.

"Cooper Flagg now. There are pictures of him in Kyle's basketball with his face and the American flag behind it. Think about everything happening in our country right now, right? About what it means to be America, America first, okay?

"He's from Maine. He's not like from one of these cities, you know, East Coast, he's from Maine, representing the bigger grand stage of the country…," Williams emphasized.

The analyst sees the emergence of Cooper Flagg and his potential rise to stardom in a broader socio-political context.

Cooper Flagg set to return for Duke’s NCAA opener

Flagg will return to the lineup for Duke on Friday as the Blue Devils, the No. 1 seed, take on 16-seed Mount St. Mary’s in the opening round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. An updated was posted on social media by the Blue Devils informed that he will be active.

Flagg missed Duke’s (31-3, 22-1 ACC) last two games in the ACC Tournament after suffering an ankle injury in the first round against Georgia Tech.

Jay Williams compared the potential significance of Flagg’s success to that of past American basketball icons.

"He's won in high school. If he wins at Duke, now I hate these comparisons, but you know, people naturally do it, Steve Vade, you know where I'm going. The Larry Bird, I'm like, he don't play nothing like Larry Bird.

"This game is actually more like Paulo Bencaro, but certain people do things like this. So, if Duke wins and Cooper Flagg wins, it becomes way bigger than just basketball. And then it becomes, could he be … the face of the league moving forward."

As a freshman, Flagg has earned himself All-American honors. He has averaged 19 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. A win for him and his team could set the stage for a rise to superstardom on the big stage.