Incoming Duke Freshman Cooper Flagg Is Going To Be A Problem After 'Dominating' Team USA Olympic Scrimmage

The hype surrounding Cooper Flagg heading into what will surely be a one-and-done year at Duke was already high, but after the recent show he put on against the U.S. Olympic team in a recent scrimmage, the hype has reached an entirely new level.

Flagg, who won't turn 18 until a few days before Christmas, became the first college player to be named to the Select Team of Team USA's scrimmage opponents since 2013 when both Marcus Smart and Doug McDermott received the nod. Both McDermott and Smart became lottery picks in the NBA Draft, and Flagg is certainly on that same path, with most draft experts writing his name in for the No. 1 overall pick in 2025.

Flagg took the floor in three scrimmages over the last three days against Team USA, a roster filled with bona fide superstars, and was reportedly one of the most consistent players on the court.

Jim Boylen, an assistant coach for the Select Team as well as the Indiana Pacers called Flagg "unbelievable" and noted that "he's not scared."

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Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker said Flagg "wants it, you see how bad he wants it" while Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe wrote that Flagg was "dominating" the scrimmage he was witness to.

A number of Flagg highlights came out of the scrimmage, including a contested three over Davis and a nasty, and-one putback that got everyone in the gym excited.

Flagg clearly caught the eye of LeBron throughout the scrimmage as well, with James dapping the teenager up with a huge smile on his face after things wrapped up.

I warned the entire country back in October 2023 after Flagg committed to Duke that it needs to prepare itself for the level of hatred it will feel towards Flagg as he'll be the next great white kid to suit up for the Blue Devils. After these highlights with Team USA, albeit it's a small sample size, maybe he'll buck that trend of being the easiest target to hate at Duke and actually be embraced because I'm going to go ahead and predict he'll be the most exciting player in college hoops this upcoming season.