DURHAM, N.C. — Duke freshman ahead Cooper Flagg, projected because the No. 1 decide within the 2025 NBA draft, mentioned it isn’t a foregone conclusion he would be the first participant chosen in June.
“Completely not,” Flagg informed ESPN in a latest interview on Duke’s campus.
“It is a day-to-day factor,” mentioned Flagg, who was the highest total recruit within the 2024 recruiting class. “I am actually simply targeted on at this time with my workforce. For me, it is nearly specializing in my workforce and this 12 months and what now we have to do. That is not one thing that I am nervous about and even fascinated with, at the moment.”
Duke coach Jon Scheyer echoed Flagg’s sentiment, and mentioned the 17-year-old has been simply nearly as good as marketed primarily based on what he has seen in apply.
“After all he has to show it,” Scheyer informed ESPN. “I’ve seen guys who’ve been projected [No. 1], which have gone there, after which guys which can be projected that do not go since you assume it is gonna occur.
“So I do not assume something. I do know Cooper does not. His factor goes to be deserved, on the finish of the day, primarily based on what he does. I believe he is proven, how he is talked about, is rightfully so. And I do know he is anxious to even construct on that. … I consider in Cooper on the finish of the day. However once more, we acquired a protracted option to go earlier than we begin fascinated with that.”
Flagg, who turns 18 on Dec. 21, wowed NBA scouts and executives in July as a member of USA Basketball’s Choose Group in Las Vegas, the place he greater than held his personal in scrimmages in opposition to a bunch of future Basketball Corridor of Famers that included LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry. The practices had been in preparation for Group USA’s build-up to the Paris Olympics.
The 2025 NBA draft class is being lauded by scouts as one of many deepest and most proficient in years, with a number of top-shelf prospects vying to be chosen No. 1 together with the presumptive favourite in Flagg. Rutgers‘ Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper could have important platforms within the Huge Ten to indicate off how their measurement, versatility and talent translate to school competitors, whereas Baylor‘s V.J. Edgecombe had an excellent summer season with the Bahamas nationwide workforce as a part of its FIBA qualifying marketing campaign.
