• Loading stock data...
Saturday, November 23, 2024

All Eyes on Cooper Flagg As College Basketball Tips Off

The projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft makes his NCAA debut with Duke on Monday.

Oct 4, 2024; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Cooper Flagg (2) is introduced to the fans during Countdown to Craziness at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

NCAA basketball returns Monday, highlighted by the debut of one of the most anticipated recruits in recent memory: Duke’s Cooper Flagg.

Flagg, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, is the best college prospect since Zion Williamson, who played for the Blue Devils in the 2018–2019 season, or Anthony Davis, the National Player of the Year in 2012. Over the summer, Flagg was the only amateur player invited to Team USA’s training camp for the Paris Olympics, and he was reportedly one of the stars of the select team that scrimmaged against the gold medal roster despite being the lone teenager.

The Maine native is already a trailblazer in the NIL (name, image, and likeness) space. Flagg’s $2.6 million NIL valuation leads all NCAA basketball players and is $500,000 more than the second-ranked player, according to On3. He secured a shoe deal with New Balance in August—despite Duke being a Nike school. The length of the deal is unclear, but it’s unlikely it would be just a one-year contract, meaning it will stretch into his NBA career.

Last week, Gatorade announced a partnership with Flagg making him the brand’s first men’s college basketball endorser. 

Bringing the Hype Back

The buzz surrounding men’s basketball dipped a bit over the last few years. Viewership for the men’s national championship game hit all-time lows for two years in a row, while the women’s title game smashed viewership records in back-to-back years, driven by the star power of Caitlin Clark. The former Iowa standout finished her NCAA career as the all-time scoring leader in Division I (across men’s and women’s basketball).

Several top U.S. prospects—like LaMelo Ball, Jalen Green, and Amen and Ausar Thompson—took alternative routes to the NBA to secure a salary before hitting the pro level. But the opportunities afforded by the NIL era have allowed prospects to take the college route and still earn six or even seven-digit paydays.

With Flagg and other projected top picks in the 2025 NBA draft like Rutgers duo Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey in the fold, expect more eyeballs and social media fodder around the NCAA men’s basketball division.

NCAA women’s basketball is looking to build on the momentum left behind by Clark and Angel Reese, with the projected 2025 WNBA draft class headlined by stars like UConn’s Paige Bueckers and USC’s JuJu Watkins. Read more about the beginning of the NCAA women’s college basketball season from Front Office Sports reporter Margaret Fleming.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Reader Mailbag: Why Are NBA Ratings Down to Start the Season?

NBA viewership is down 28% on ESPN through the first four weeks.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) smiles while answering a question Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, after an Indiana Fever practice at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Caitlin Clark a ‘Vital’ Part of Cincinnati NWSL Bid As League Expands

The WNBA superstar has joined an NWSL expansion bid in Cincinnati.

DirecTV-Dish Deal Is Dead, Spelling More Trouble for Pay TV

Bondholder objections undo an agreement to create the largest U.S. pay-TV distributor.

The Big Noon Debate: Will Ohio State’s Early Games Lead to Change?

The Buckeyes will end the season with seven noon ET kickoffs.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

How Conference Expansion Has Changed College Football

0:00

Featured Today

Nov 16, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman (2) celebrates after defeating NJ/NY Gotham FC in a 2024 NWSL Playoffs semifinal match at Audi Field. Mandatory Credit:

The Washington Spirit’s Business Makeover Carried Them to the Finals

The team’s return to the NWSL championship looks a lot different from 2021.
Nov 18, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Williams Racing driver Logan Sargeant of the United States (2) during the Las Vegas Grand Prix at Las Vegas Strip Circuit.
November 21, 2024

F1 Grand Prix Upended Vegas Last Year. Stakes Are High for Its..

Stakes are high as F1 gears up for a successful second act.
Classic Football Shirts New York Pop-Up
November 18, 2024

Vintage Soccer Jerseys Have Found a Sweet Spot in the Lucrative U.S...

The money-making shirts are at the prime intersection of memorabilia and fashion.
Nov 13, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) reacts after fouling Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (not pictured) during the second half at Madison Square Garden.
opinion
November 16, 2024

NBA Ratings Rorschach Test: Buy the Dip

Was it the election? Too many threes? Lack of storylines?
Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke gazes into the crowd after the Hoosiers beat Michigan on Nov. 9, 2024, in Bloomington, Indiana.
November 21, 2024

Companies Are ‘Misleading’ Athletes About Settlement Money, House Lawyers Say

Lawyers are asking the judge to take action to protect players.
November 21, 2024

Old Rivals, New Stakes: Notre Dame and Army to Clash in Yankee..

The two schools are playing for the first time since 2016.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
Geno Auriemma
November 20, 2024

Geno Auriemma Becomes All-Time Winningest NCAA Basketball Coach

He took the record from Tara VanDerveer, who set it in January.
Nov 16, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders looks on before the game against the Utah Utes at Folsom Field.
November 20, 2024

Prime Time: Colorado Now Favored to Win Big 12, Eyes CFP Berth

Colorado is No. 16 in the latest CFP rankings.
November 20, 2024

Sparks Turn to College Ranks: Utah’s Lynne Roberts Named Head Coach

The Atlanta Dream hired Karl Smesko last week.
November 18, 2024

Louisiana Governor’s PAC Paid for Controversial LSU Tiger

Jeff Landry’s backers funded the tiger that appeared at Alabama-LSU.