Coop’s Decision

Almost a week ago, Duke Men’s Basketball was shocked in the Final Four by the Houston Cougars. The Blue Devils had been hoping for their first National Championship appearance since 2015, but they came up short instead.

Their superstar Freshman, Cooper Flagg, took home the Wooden Award for National Player of the Year, as well as the Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year. Flagg is projected to be a lock for the first overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft this June.

However, there are rumors that Flagg might stick around in college. In fact, the Freshman teased the idea in an interview earlier this year. If Flagg does decide to run it back, the decision would be huge for the world of college basketball. Here’s why.

Flagg’s Decision

Cooper Flagg is one of the best college basketball players that we have seen in recent years. He possesses tremendous athleticism and elite scoring ability, while still impacting the game with his playmaking, rebounding, and defensive skills. The dude is the complete package.

Thanks to NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness), college athletes can now get paid. If Flagg returned to Duke as a sophomore, the endorsements he would receive would be through the roof. He would likely be the most famous college athlete in the U.S. next to Arch Manning.

Yes, Flagg would make a ton of money in the NBA next year—far more than what he would earn if he returned to Duke—but the publicity he would receive in college next year could be even greater. That’s largely due to the NBA’s lackluster coverage of young players, especially when compared to the constant spotlight placed on elite college athletes.

College Legacy

Yes, Cooper Flagg is incredibly talented, but he also plays for one of the most iconic basketball programs in the country: Duke. He is also similar to many of the other famous “hated Duke players,” which only brings him even more attention and recognition.

As far as development goes, Flagg—and many other young NBA prospects—could benefit from more time in college. While he’s already a great basketball player, there were still moments during the season and the NCAA Tournament where his youth showed.

One more year in college would develop Flagg into a more complete basketball player. It would allow him to establish a legacy at a prestigious university. A sophomore season return to Duke would not only grow Flagg’s legacy, but it would rid him of the mistakes he made as a young freshman.

My Bias

I don’t have a bias because I’m a Duke fan. That is far from the case—I do not root for the Blue Devils. My bias is rooted in how basketball is viewed and played.

Too many players nowadays spend one year in college before jumping to the NBA at 19 years old. I understand that development in the best basketball league in the world is beneficial for many players, but not all are ready, even if they think they are.

As a fan of college basketball, I miss the days when players stayed in college long enough to establish a true legacy. It’s tough for the casual fan to get attached to players when they’re only around for one season. Many one-and-done players don’t learn how to play the game the right way, and that leads to bad habits and play style when they play in the NBA.

In fact, the current style of play in the NBA could be blamed on the many young players who played one year in college, rushed their development, and never had time to truly develop fundamental skills and basketball IQ in college.

If Duke ever wants to win another National Championship, they’ll need to recruit players who are willing to stay for more than one year. In college basketball, every team that has won a National Championship in recent memory has had veteran players—guys who have been around for at least two seasons.

If Coop were to stay one more year, he would bring attention to College Basketball that would be incredibly beneficial to its growth and popularity. It is something I desperately wish to see. 

Closing Thoughts

Cooper Flagg coming back to Duke next year appears to be very unlikely. Almost every sports article you’ll see that involves the NBA Draft this summer believes that Coop will be taking his talents to the NBA next year. I hope this is not the case. 

Maybe Coop will go to the NBA, where he will make a ton of money and develop into the elite superstar that we all expect him to be.

Or maybe, just maybe, Flagg decides to run it back one more year in Durham. He establishes himself as one of the great Duke Basketball players in recent years, leads them to their first National Title since 2015, and grows College Basketball into a sport that gets even greater attention than it does now. And then he decides to come to the NBA. 

I personally think that the second decision would be a lot of fun to watch.