Dick Vitale drops ultimate Cooper Flagg praise during Duke vs UNC: "In 45 years at ESPN I have not seen a player as young as Cooper Flagg so skilled"

ESPN analyst and Naismith Hall of Famer Dick Vitale gave the ultimate compliment for Duke freshman sensation Cooper Flagg in the Blue Devils' rivalry game against the North Carolina Tar Heels on Saturday. The No. 2 Blue Devils beat the Tar Heels 87-70, with Flagg scoring 21 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

Vitale, who has covered sports for 45 years for the network, posted a tweet about Flagg's game on his X account minutes after Duke and North Carolina tipped off at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

"All I can say in 45 years at ESPN I have not seen a player as young as Cooper Flagg so skilled - he is in his own World - he is THAT GOOD!" Vitale wrote.

Dick Vitale has been a fixture in college basketball broadcasts. He is known for his enthusiasm and catchphrases like "Awesome, Baby!" and "Get a TO, Baby!"

The Hall of Famer had his last broadcasting gig in the national championship game between San Diego State and UConn on April 3, 2023. He was slated to attempt a broadcasting comeback on Jan. 25 during the Duke-Wake Forest game but had suffered an accident at home a week before it.

His long breaks from broadcasting were caused by his various battles with cancer since August 2021. He underwent treatments and surgeries to cure or remove the cancer cells in his body and has been declared cancer-free by doctors several times, only for the cells to come back months later.

On Dec. 13, the well-renowned broadcaster once again was cancer-free.

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ESPN analyst Jay Bilas brands Cooper Flagg as the "most competitive freshman I've seen"

ESPN college basketball analyst and former Duke player and assistant coach Jay Bilas called five-star recruit Cooper Flagg the most competitive freshman he has ever seen.

Bilas, who played for Duke from 1982 to 86 and was an assistant coach between 1989 and 1992, told "College GameDay" host Rece Davis and analysts Andraya Carter, Seth Greenberg and Jay Williams that Flagg is the most advanced freshman in every facet of the game.

Bilas, however, clarified that Flagg may not be the most talented Duke freshman ever, but he is the most competitive freshman he has ever witnessed in his years of covering the sport.

"I'm not saying he's the most talented, or you know, Jason Tatum been Kyrie there, Jayson Williams there have been some great freshmen here," he said (0:25). "But what he's doing on a competitive level, like he's the most competitive freshman I've seen."

Bilas elaborated on his statement that he's on a different level when it comes to competitiveness and compared him to former Blue Devils forward and 1992 Olympic gold medalist Christian Laettner. The analyst also described him as a player with an advanced skill set, and he's not bothered by any defense being enforced on him by rival programs.

Cooper Flagg's latest outing against North Carolina boosted his averages to 20.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. He has a chance to improve on his numbers in Duke's visit to Syracuse on Feb. 5.