“Stop it now. Zion Williamson was Hollywood”: College hoops fans dismiss Cooper Flagg comparison with ex-Duke star

Zion Williamson and Cooper Flagg are two of the most talented hoppers to lace up for the Duke Blue Devils in recent years. Williamson was a statement recruit for the Blue Devils in 2018 alongside RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish while Flagg is the flagship prospect for the 2024 iteration of the Blue Devils.

On Thursday on Instagram, Ballislife posed the question, "Who had the better freshman campaign" between Williamson and Flagg.

Some college hoops fans dismissed Flagg and weren't having Zion criticism.

One wrote: "Stop it now. Zion was Hollywood."

“Stop it now. Zion Williamson was Hollywood”: College hoops fans dismiss $4.8 million NIL-valued Cooper Flagg’s comparison with ex-Duke star.

Another said, "Zion easily ! Not even a comparison."

One added, "Yall don’t understand how hard it is to average 22 a game when RJ is taking 25 shots a game."

However, some seemingly took the side of Flagg.

A fan said, "Zion made Nike stock go down, c’mon now."

Another stated, "without rj and c zion could’ve averaged 30, but if we look at the stat sheet coop got a more impressive showcase imo."

One added, "If coop takes them farther during march madness, then it’ll be him."

Who had the better freshman season: Zion Williamson or Cooper Flagg?

Zion Williamson averaged 22.6 points per game in his one-and-done season with the Duke Blue Devils. He formed arguably the best freshman duo in modern college hoops history alongside RJ Barrett in the 2018-19 NCAA season.

Williamson and the Blue Devils fell short of the national championship as they were beaten by the Michigan State Spartans in the Elite Eight.

However, his play earned him the Wayman Tisdale Award, Karl Malone Award, NABC Freshman of the Year, ACC Athlete of the Year, ACC Player of the Year, ACC Rookie of the Year and national college player of the year awards. He left the Blue Devils as a legend despite playing in just one season.

As for Cooper Flagg, the Montverde Academy product is still in the middle of his freshman season with the Blue Devils. Hence, it seems premature to compare him to Zion Williamson.

However, Flagg has held his own. The guard/forward is averaging 19.4 ppg, 7.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists on 49.1% shooting in 28 games. He's also aiming to guide them to the No. 1 seed in March Madness. Of course, Flagg hasn't won any major awards as the regular season is ongoing.

In a nutshell, it'll take something special for Cooper Flagg (or any Duke Blue Devils freshman) to top what Zion Williamson did in the 2018-19 season. Williamson was a one-of-one prospect and generational in the true sense of the word.