"Pass the ball weak a** boy": Cooper Flagg dismantled by college hoops fans for rough start vs Caleb Love's Arizona

Cooper Flagg has had all eyes on his development ever since he was in high school. As this class's highest-rated draft prospect, Flagg has massive expectations on his shoulders. Along with those expectations, comes fan criticism whenever he fails to keep up with them.

Facing Arizona tonight, Flagg had a rough start to the game. He shot 3 of 11 in the first half (27.3% FGM) and had only 8 points in the first half. This slow start enraged a few college hoops supporters online. These fans took to X and let Flagg hear the worst of their criticism. One of them said:

"If you play cooper flagg and you let him score more than 5 points. you suck to me"

Another said:

"Cooper Flagg not a better prospect than bout 3-4 players in 2021 draft why was he crowned so early"

One college fan quipped:

"cooper flagg a ball hog lmaoo pass the ball weak ass boy"

"Not gonna lie I’m pretty fucking tired of cooper Flagg already. Greg Paulus vibes all over this kid," another said.

"Bruh cooper Flagg is absolute trash. No shot he can be the number 1 pick," one fan expressed.

"Cooper Flagg not even ready for wnba let alone nba. He can’t finish at the rim and a below average jumper," another said.

How Cooper Flagg silenced the noise?

After a struggle in the first half, Cooper Flagg came out swinging in the second half. He scored 16 of his 24 points in the second half on a 10 of 22 shooting rate. He ended the night with 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists as Duke hustled their way past Arizona.

The game ended 69-55 in favor of the visitors (Duke). This showed the critics that Flagg could steal the show despite a slow start.

Despite complaining about cramping issues recently, Duke's star ensured that he conserved his energy for the most important time in the game. Thus, showing the value of patience and trusting the process.

What does this mean for Cooper Flagg and Duke?

Cooper Flagg is the frontrunner for becoming the #1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft. However, several hoops fans believe he could get dethroned by the Rutgers star Ace Bailey. This victory over Arizona means Duke moves up to a 4-1 record in the season, with their only loss coming vs Kentucky so far.

Cooper Flagg posting up Arizona's Caleb Love [COLLEGE BASKETBALL: NOV 22 Duke at Arizona - Source: Getty]

For Duke, Kon Knueppel also had a relatively impressive game. He finished the night as Duke's only player with double-digit points (13) other than Flagg. This win helped Duke move up to the 8th position in the Atlantic Coast Conference.