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Cooper Flagg Reminds ESPN Analyst of Travis Hunter

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Angelo Guinhawa | Last updated Apr 11, 2025 10:27 AM ET

As the whole basketball world continues to be fascinated by Cooper Flagg's skills and how they will translate to the pros, there has been plenty of discussions about his floor and ceiling as a player.

Naturally, the Duke Blue Devils forward has been compared to a number of players before, especially as fans and experts alike assess his potential. Names like Kawhi Leonard, Jayson Tatum, Franz Wagner, Jalen Johnson, Andrei Kirilenko, Kevin Garnett are just among the names mentioned in pro comps to get a full sense of Flagg's talent.

Interestingly, however, ESPN college basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla had a rather unique comparison for the Blue Devils forward.

As he took a look at Flagg's game tapes in preparation for the 2025 NBA Draft, Fraschilla shared that he couldn't help but think about Colorado Buffaloes star Travis Hunter when watching Flagg.

The reason for the ESPN analyst's comparison between the two athletes despite the difference in sports is simple: they both can dominate on offense and defense. Hunter has established himself as both a deadly wide receiver and a lethal cornerback, while Flagg is heavily considered an elite defensive prospect who can also contribute on offense.

"Studying @DukeMBB Cooper Flagg this morning for NBA Draft & he’s even better than I thought," Fraschilla wrote.

"(Saw him live 3 times) He reminds me of @CUBuffsFootball Travis Hunter in that he is elite on both sides of ball. Ball skills for size are elite. And, he shot 44% from 3 in last 27 games. Very few weaknesses. VERY FEW."

Studying @DukeMBB Cooper Flagg this morning for NBA Draft & he’s even better than I thought. (Saw him live 3 times) He reminds me of @CUBuffsFootball Travis Hunter in that he is elite on both sides of ball. Ball skills for size are elite. And, he shot 44% from 3 in last 27 games.…
— Fran Fraschilla (@franfraschilla) April 10, 2025

Fraschilla added more praise for Flagg in his latest comments. While the youngster's offense leaves much to be desired, the analyst pointed out that Flagg's game is built for the NBA.

"Made for NBA offenses. Open court assassin, catch & shoot, 'stampede' drives off closeouts, pull-up jumpers, post-ups, face-ups off the lane, elite ball skills in tight quarters, finishes with both hands," Fraschilla highlighted.

It will definitely be interesting to see how Cooper Flagg develops once he makes it to the NBA. He's set to be the No. 1 pick, with ESPN projecting him to land with the Utah Jazz.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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