NCAAB analyst John Fanta hails Duke as a must-watch team in March Madness where Cooper Flagg will "generate the highest amount of buzz"

No. 3 Duke is a team to watch as March Madness creeps closer. The Blue Devils sit atop the ACC and are projected to be the top seed in the East. After an 18-point win over Virginia on Monday, the team's dominance is clearer than ever.

In the Monday night episode of "The Field of 68: After Dark," analysts discussed the expectations of Duke in the NCAA Tournament.

"This group is so driven and fundamentally sound," NCAA analyst John Fanta said. "I think it will be fascinating to continue to follow their road map to a title."

Fanta said that the stars are aligning for the Blue Devils to be refreshed and ready for March Madness. He pointed out that the team is familiar with challenges, having had a tough non-conference schedule.

Duke defeated now No. 19 Arizona back in November and learned from late-game struggles in losses to now No. 17 Kentucky and now No. 23 Kansas. Fanta argued that one particular player for the Blue Devils will grab people's attention this March.

"Cooper Flagg is going to generate the highest amount of buzz, television ratings-wise, eyeballs-wise," Fanta said. "People want to see if the No. 1 pick in the draft with this young Duke head coach with the brand that is Duke, a brand that casual fans love to hate, if they can rise above all and get the championship."

NCAA Basketball: Duke at Virginia - Source: Imagn

Cooper Flagg's freshman season at Duke

Flagg, a 6-foot-9 guard, came to Duke as the No. 1 prospect in the 2024 class. Now, he's expected to be the No. 1 prospect in this year's NBA draft.

In his freshman season with the Blue Devils, Flagg has started in all 26 of the team's games thus far, averaging 31.8 minutes on the court. He's averaging an NCAA 25th-best 19.7 points per game, along with 7.7 rebounds and four assists.

NCAA Basketball: Duke at Virginia - Source: Imagn

In Duke's dominant win over Virginia, the freshman guard recorded a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds, shooting 50% from the field. It was the seventh double-double of his college career.

“I know I’m biased or whatever but if we’re not talking about him as one of the best — if a chance to be the best player in the country. To me, he is the best player,” Duke head coach Jon Scheyer said of Flagg after Duke's win over Pitt.

“I think he’s proven that with who we’ve played, the competition. The fact that he does it in such a mature way, he doesn’t hunt numbers. He just puts up numbers because the game comes to him, he plays the game the right way."

NCAA Basketball: Duke at Virginia - Source: Imagn

Flagg's freshman season success has attracted the attention of fans and the NBA alike, and as March Madness approaches, Fanta says Flagg is the player to watch.