Cooper Flagg to 'Regroup' Before Making NBA Draft Decision After Duke Final Four Loss
Duke freshman forward and national men's college basketball player of the year Cooper Flagg said he is taking some time to "regroup" after the end of the Blue Devils' season as he nears the deadline to make a decision regarding entrance into the NBA draft.
“I’ll just take some time from (the loss), regroup myself, whatever it is,” Flagg told Jovan Buha of The Athletic. “I’m gonna get back into training here pretty soon. And just start to gear up again with the offseason.”
Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game for a Duke team that lost in the Final Four to Houston.
If Flagg declares for the draft, then he's all but certain to be the No. 1 overall pick. He met the massive preseason hype and then some this year, looking like a potential superstar point forward on the next level. Flagg was clearly the best player in college basketball, as the awards proved, and he appears destined for pro greatness shortly.
The latest mock draft from Jonathan Wasserman for Bleacher Report has Wasserman going first overall, which has been the trend throughout the season.
Aside from exceeding expectations this year with his evolving creation and shotmaking, Flagg greatly impacted games with his passing and defensive playmaking as well," Wasserman wrote on April 8.
"He wound up leading the nation in box plus-minus at 17/18 years old.
"And now the only question asks which team will win the lottery and add Flagg to its core. The Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets will have the best odds (14.0 percent)."
As Buha relayed, Flagg now plans to finish the academic year at Duke. Then he's headed to Los Angeles for training.
For now, the key date to watch is April 26, the NBA Early Entry Deadline date. The NBA draft lottery then takes place May 12. However, the biggest date is May 29, the deadline for college players with NCAA eligibility remaining to withdraw their name from the draft. So we'll know Flagg's decision soon enough.
