Cooper Flagg Called 'Generational' by Wake Forest HC, On 'Level' of Durant, Kawhi

Wake Forest head coach Steve Forbes had high praise for Duke freshman Cooper Flagg following the Blue Devils' 63-56 win over the Deacons on Saturday.

Forbes called Flagg "generational" when speaking to reporters after the loss.

"He can score off the bounce, he can score off the catch, he can post you up, he can score in transition, he's gonna play a long time in the NBA," he added.

Forbes also compared Flagg to standout forwards that he previously coached against at the college level, listing Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant and Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard.

"He's on that level, I think," Forbes said (1:54 mark).

Wake Forest nearly pulled off an upset win over Duke, leading by four points with roughly seven minutes remaining in the second half. The Blue Devils eventually pulled away for a seven-point victory to improve to 17-2, though.

Flagg finished with a game-high 24 points, shooting 8-16 from the field despite connecting on just one of his six attempts from three-point territory. He also recorded seven rebounds, six assists and one block.

The 18-year-old entered Saturday's action averaging 19.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per game on 48.8/34.8/80.9 shooting splits.

Flagg has met the lofty expectations that were placed upon him to begin the 2024-25 season, as he was ranked as the No. 1 player in the country as part of the 2024 recruiting class (via 247Sports).

He's expected to be the top pick in the 2025 NBA draft, as he was projected to go No. 1 overall in the latest mock draft from Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman.

For now, Flagg is still operating as a key piece for the Blue Devils and earning star comparisons from opposing head coaches as he navigates through his freshman campaign.