Illinois Coach Brad Underwood Makes Interesting Comparison Between Cooper Flagg And Caitlin Clark
Illinois head coach Brad Underwood will have a front-row seat to watch Cooper Flagg this weekend when the Fighting Illini take on Duke at Madison Square Garden. While Underwood will be looking to get the best of the Blue Devils, he, like everyone else in the building, will be paying close attention to the Duke star.
Flagg was arguably the most-hyped high school basketball recruit since LeBron James, and despite the insanely lofty expectations surrounding him for his freshman campaign at Duke, the Maine native has looked the part, and then some.
Flagg is averaging nearly 20 points per game to go along with 7.7 rebounds and four assists, and has solidified himself as the undisputed first-overall draft pick if he decides to go one-and-done and make the jump to the NBA this summer.
The easiest comparison to make of Flagg that does his game and excitement justice is fellow Duke big Zion Williamson, who went first in the 2019 NBA Draft.
For coach Underwood, his mind went to the women's game and none other than Caitlin Clark when discussing Flagg with OutKick's Dan Dakich.
"If he stayed in school, he would be the face of college basketball and elevate basketball to the levels Caitlin Clark did on the female side," Underwood said. "I don't know him as a young man, everything I've heard is what a great guy he is, he's a super talent, so I think he will be great for the NBA."
Brad Underwood On Cooper Flagg
As Underwood noted, Flagg stepping onto an NBA floor and inside an NBA locker room will be a completely new challenge for the young man, he's already gotten the ultimate taste of what that may be like with his participation with Team USA ahead of the 2024 Paris Games.
Flagg was reportedly one of the most consistent players on the floor as he practiced with the U.S. squad that went on to win gold in Paris.
The Washington Wizards currently occupy the basement of the NBA standings and could be the owners of the 2025 first-overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. New Orleans could also land the pick, which would be quite the scene if Flagg landed with the Pelicans alongside Williamson.