Dick Vitale Forecasts 'Hoops Hysteria' for Duke Next Season

Originally posted on FanNation Blue Devil Country
By Matt Giles | Last updated 3/1/24

Thursday was just another day at the office for future Duke basketball forward Cooper Flagg. The 6-foot-9, 200-pound five-star, a Maine native sitting atop the 247Sports 2024 Composite, helped Montverde Academy (Fla.) improve to 29-0 this season with an 83-58 win over Veritas Prep (Ariz.) at the Pete Hollis Showcase in Greenville, S.C.

Flagg, a lifelong Blue Devil enthusiast headlining Jon Scheyer's five-deep 2024 recruiting haul, finished his team-high 27 minutes on the floor with 15 points, seven rebounds, four steals, two blocks, and only one turnover while shooting 6-for-10 from the field and 3-for-3 at the charity stripe.

Cooper Flagg with the tough and-1 pic.twitter.com/FNHIQYH548
— League Ready (@LeagueRDY) March 1, 2024

Once again, Flagg's highlights display an NBA-ready talent. So, it's no surprise the projected one-and-done is the early frontrunner to become the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2025.

Cooper Flagg with the putback pic.twitter.com/bqOKj5zt9K
— League Ready (@LeagueRDY) March 1, 2024

Evidently, Flagg has caught the attention of longtime ESPN analyst and honorary "Cameron Crazie" Dick Vitale.

In the following post, the 84-year-old college basketball treasure went as far as referring to the 17-year-old phenom as "better than advertised" and predicted Duke's famed student section will be in "HOOPS HYSTERIA" next season:

I saw ⁦@Cooper_Flagg⁩ play & he is better than advertised & that is saying alot -The CAMERON CRAZIES will be in HOOPS HYSTERIA watching him in a ⁦@DukeMBB⁩ uniform . via @ESPN App https://t.co/bgSitlVzfJ
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) March 1, 2024

Three of Vitale's grandchildren, siblings Connor, Jake, and Ava Krug, will likely be in the stands often to experience the excitement. Twins Connor and Jake are currently juniors on the Blue Devils' tennis team, and Ava is a five-star 2024 prospect committed to the Duke women's tennis program.

Meanwhile, Cooper Flagg is part of the nation's No. 1 class. The collection features three more five-star talents in forward Isaiah Evans, forward Kon Knueppel, and center Patrick Ngongba, plus four-star wing Darren Harris.

This article first appeared on FanNation Blue Devil Country and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: