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Colin Cowherd Makes Bold Prediction For Cooper Flagg

Originally posted on The Spun | By Kameron Duncan | Last updated Mar 27, 2025 7:49 PM ET

The NCAA Tournament will restart on Thursday with the Sweet Sixteen, and all eyes will be on Duke freshman Cooper Flagg.

Flagg and the Blue Devils will take center stage in Newark, as they take on Arizona for a spot in the Elite Eight this weekend.

Flagg is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft this summer, and one big name in sports media sees big things in his professional future.

During an episode of "The Herd" on FOX Sports 1 , Colin Cowherd said that he believes Flagg can be the best Duke player in NBA history.

"They've had 90 guys in the NBA. I think Cooper Flagg's going to be their best NBA player ever."@ColinCowherd praises the Duke star and compares him to Jayson Tatum and Grant Hill pic.twitter.com/dLaljrDFMI
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) March 27, 2025

"They've had 90 guys in the NBA. I think Cooper Flagg's going to be their best NBA player ever," Cowherd said.

It's high praise for the 18-year-old, who will have to surpass some of the biggest names in NBA history in order for Cowherd's prediction to be accurate. Duke players to find NBA stardom include Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum, Grant Hill and Brandon Ingram.

Younger players like Paolo Banchero, Zion Williamson and Jalen Johnson also played at Duke, giving Flagg some more competition once he gets to the NBA next season.

For now, Flagg is focused on helping Duke win its first national championship in a decade. The Blue Devils are looking for their first title in the post-Coach K era, as they're now led by a former Duke player in Jon Scheyer.

CLEMSON, SOUTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 08: Cooper Flagg #2 of the Duke Blue Devils plays against the Clemson Tigers during their game at Littlejohn Coliseum on February 08, 2025 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images

On Thursday, they'll need to get past the No. 4 seed Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet Sixteen. Arizona advanced after wins over Akron and Oregon, while Duke defeated Mount St. Mary's and Baylor to get to the second weekend of the tournament.

Flagg put up 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists against the Mountaineers in his NCAA Tournament debut, and he followed it up with 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists against Baylor.

We'll see what Flagg can do in the biggest game of his college career on Thursday night against the Wildcats.

Fans can tune in to see Duke take on Arizona tonight in the NCAA Tournament, live on CBS at 9:39 PM ET.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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