Duke Blue Devils celebrity Cooper Flagg is broadly projected to be the No. 1 total decide within the 2025 NBA Draft class. It’s not stunning as Flagg is in the midst of an exceptional marketing campaign with the Blue Devils and is on tempo to grow to be the primary freshman to steer his staff in each statistical class whereas making the NCAA Event.
Nevertheless, the 18-year-old despatched shockwaves via the NBA with a latest remark, hinting that he would possibly resolve against declaring for the draft. Analyst Jason Whitlock seems to help Flagg spending one other 12 months in school and believes he may grow to be the NBA’s “model of Caitlin Clark” by not declaring for the draft this 12 months.
Jason Whitlock Desires Cooper Flagg To Turn into NBA’s Caitlin Clark
Most school basketball gamers seeking to make it to the NBA solely spend the requisite one 12 months enjoying NCAA hoops earlier than declaring for the NBA Draft, particularly these projected to go No. 1 total. Many assumed that Flagg would comply with the same path.
Nevertheless, based on the 18-year-old phenom, he desires to remain at Duke a bit longer. Already in the midst of a legendary marketing campaign, Flagg expressed his emotions about his unbelievable expertise as a member of the Blue Devils.
“S***, I wish to come again subsequent 12 months,” Flagg instructed The Athletic.
Whitlock supported the 18-year-old’s choice and requested followers to request that he keep within the NCAA and construct a model for himself as WNBA star Caitlin Clark did at Iowa.
“Everbody concerned that loves and cares in regards to the NBA must be begging Cooper Flagg return to Duke,” Whitlock stated. “We don’t want a one-and-done heading into the NBA. We’d like our model of Caitlin Clark. An individual who establishes an enormous gigantic model in school basketball after which joins us.”
— Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) February 18, 2025
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Clark is broadly thought to be one of many best collegiate gamers and is credited for bringing consideration to girls’s basketball. After breaking a plethora of NCAA information, together with being the Division I all-time main scorer throughout males’s and ladies’s basketball, Clark was drafted No. 1 total by the Indiana Fever in 2024.
Her addition to the WNBA has resulted in an enormous enhance in viewership and income for the league. Clark is believed to have accounted for 26.5% of the WNBA’s tangible monetary and development indicators, comparable to ticket and merchandise income and tv scores.
Whitlock hopes to see the same impact on the NBA courtesy of Flagg, however the 18-year-old is very unlikely to attend three years to play with the professionals.