Fans level doubt on Duke's Cooper Flagg after seeing his first-half output vs. Kansas
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Cooper Flagg has been ticketed by many to be the next big thing in the world of basketball, as the Duke Blue Devils forward can do it all — defend at a high level, handle the rock with confidence, and tip the scales in his team’s favor by being a walking mismatch problem. However, Flagg isn’t exactly setting the collegiate basketball world on fire, and on Tuesday night, he did not gain favor in the eyes of fans after putting up a quiet first half against the number-one ranked team in the nation, the Kansas Jayhawks.
Flagg seemed almost content to be a passenger on both ends for Duke; he ended the first half of their contest against Kansas with just two points, two rebounds, and one assist — a far cry from the kind of production everyone is expecting from the number-one ranked prospect in the entire country.
As a result, fans became skeptical of Flagg and how impactful he can be, especially when Kansas is as difficult of a test as there is at the collegiate level for the young Duke forward.
“Duke down 2 at half with Cooper Flagg on vacation. I've watched him a couple times this season & not impressed at all ,” user @NickyCashin wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).
“cooper flagg not like that,” @whatisxdot added.
“Is Cooper Flagg not even the best player on his team??” @JustB3ingHonest furthered.
The Duke freshman is also being clowned for not being able to assert himself against Kansas senior KJ Adams.
“Cooper Flagg getting blocked by KJ Adams lmao.. generational folks,” @DarrylsBack24 wrote.
“KJ ADAMS OH MY!!! FLAGG CANT DO ANYTHING WHEN KJ IS ON HIM!” @JustinPottinger exclaimed.
Duke’s Cooper Flagg is bearing the weight of heavy expectations
It’s important to note that amid all the criticisms surrounding the Duke freshman that Cooper Flagg is only 17 years of age. Sure, perhaps there must be a greater sense of assertiveness from Flagg. But he is 17 years of age facing other players who have multiple years of college basketball experience under their belt, and for that, he deserves to be cut some slack.
Outside of an eight-point outing against Wofford, Flagg has been incredible for Duke, and it’s not like his draft stock has fallen in any way. He has been outstanding on the defensive end, and he has been solid in scoring from inside the arc. His 26.1 percent shooting from three is less than desirable, but he’s been making up for that with his impact in other areas.
Simply put, his struggles have simply been magnified on Tuesday since they’re facing the top school in the country in Kansas.
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