“Still crying?”, “This dude corny as f*ck”: Fans berate Jay Williams’ rant after Cooper Flagg and Duke’s loss vs Kentucky

The No. 19 Kentucky Wildcats stunned the No. 6 Duke Blue Devils 77-72 on Tuesday, drawing plenty of attention despite a standout showing from freshman star Cooper Flagg. However, ESPN analyst Jay Williams wasn't putting much focus on the winning team as he drew criticism from college basketball fans.

Williams posted a video on X on Thursday, explaining to the Kentucky fanbase why the sports media are putting more focus on Flagg's performance and not on the Wildcats' win.

"Whether you like it or not, networks are going to sell Cooper Flagg," Williams, a former Duke standout said.

"He's going to be the first pick in the draft, you're going to talk about whether he won the game or whether he lost the game, regardless of the outcome, because you're going to market him for a product that needs to attach themselves to something that is marketable and that can cut through, because Cooper Flagg can cut through."

Basketball fans criticized Williams' comments, not caring much about the marketing of Flagg and instead looking at Kentucky's victory over Duke as more important. Here are some of their reactions.

"This dude corny as f*ck bro…Always has been," one fan said.

"You’re still crying?" one asked.

"Same thoughts. Like wtf. I have no problem with them message tbh but wtf. If he was talking to me that way in public I would smack him," one replied.

"This seems like something that really didn’t need to be said. Can’t imagine a single UK fan is worried about whether talking heads are discussing Flagg too much or not, only whether BBN got the win or not, and especially after that big dub," a fan said.

"Jay, we don’t care about marketing Cooper Flagg. The kid is phenomenal, especially at his age. He will be a top 5 pick, no doubt about it. We are more than aware of marketing when it comes to draft picks; we have done it better than anyone else for the last 15 years. It’s a new era in Lexington, and we are chasing banners, not draft picks. Enjoy the #1 pick, and we will go after #9," one fan posted.

What's next for Cooper Flagg and Duke?

Cooper Flagg had a performance worth noting against Kentucky, having a double-double of 26 points and 12 rebounds. However, it wasn't enough as the Wildcats outscored the Blue Devils 40-26 in the second half to complete the rally and win 77-72.

After three games, Flagg is averaging 19.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.7 steals and 2.7 blocks on 45.5% shooting. He seems to be living up to expectations, as his performance against Kentucky indicates he's here to stay as one of the best stars on the rise in college basketball.

Up next, Duke will host Wofford at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, on Saturday at noon ET.