“Just an 18-year-old kid. Go have fun. Chase a girl”: Illinois HC Brad Underwood advocates for Cooper Flagg to stay at Duke for another year

Illinois coach Brad Underwood spoke about Cooper Flagg's future after Duke thrashed Underwood's Fighting Illini 110-67 at Madison Square Garden on Saturday. Unlike many analysts and fans, the 2024 Big Ten tournament champion said that he did not want Flagg to transition to the NBA in April.

"I hope he stays in school, I mean if I am the NCAA or ACC I'm figuring out an NIL deal to keep that dude in school because he's everything that's right about our game," Underwood said in his post-game press conference. "College basketball is in a great place, we've got guys like that coming in, I hope he stays."

"He's just an 18-year-old kid, go have fun, chase a girl, just enjoy the opportunity," the Illinois coach added.

Cooper Flagg came to the college circuit as the best player in the 2024 class. Even before he arrived at Duke, he was summoned by Team USA to play against Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum and other members of the Paris Olympic team.

When Flagg did begin working out with his Blue Devils teammates, he was labeled as the best player in America in a poll by CBS Sports. More than 100 coaches cast votes, with 36% of them voting for the Newport, Maine native.

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Cooper Flagg's mom and Brad Underwood don't seem to share the same views

Unlike Brad Underwood, Cooper Flagg's mom Kelly Flagg wants her son to stay away from having a girlfriend. It is an opinion that those close to Flagg reportedly share and Kelly doubled down on it while speaking with the Athletic in an exclusive on Feb 11.

"I think that's smart (to not have a girlfriend in college). It's safe to not have any feelings," she said.

The family's thoughts possibly stem from wanting to ensure that the 18-year-old forward lives up to his potential and follows the trajectory that is expected of him. Flagg is expected to be the top pick in the 2025 NBA draft.

Given Cooper Flagg's talent and his performance for the Select Team last summer, many experts felt that he could have been the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft but the NBA's draft eligibility rules such as being at least 19 years old and being one year removed from high school meant that he couldn't have possibly declared for the 2024 draft.