• Loading stock data...
Saturday, September 13, 2025
Tuned In is Almost Sold Out! Limited Tickets Remain!

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

Sep 11, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) dribbles past Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaun (13) in the second half at Target Center.

As WNBA Grows, Engelbert Says Its Playoff Field Won’t for a While

Eight of thirteen WNBA teams made the playoffs this year.
opinion

19 Rising Stars in Sports Media

Who are sports media’s rising stars? Here’s an inside look.
Sep 10, 2025; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Connecticut Sun forward Aaliyah Edwards (8) fights to keep the ball in-bounds during the second half against the Atlanta Dream at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Connecticut AG Demands Documents From WNBA About Sun Sale Process

The WNBA reportedly prefers to move the team to Houston.
Mar 3, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) warms up prior to the game against the Washington Wizards at Kaseya Center.
Sponsored

Hornets Cancel Sports Betting Night Vs. Heat Over Terry Rozier Tie-In

Terry Rozier is under federal investigation for point-shaving in a 2023 game when he was on the Hornets.

Featured Today

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 19: A detailed view of the MLB Debut patch on the jersey of Patrick Monteverde #44 of the Miami Marlins prior to game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 19, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Tiny Jersey Patch at the Center of the MLB Rookie Card..

Autographed cards containing a piece of baseball history have upended the market.
September 11, 2025

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch Could Set More NFL Ratings Records

Fox will nationally televise Sunday afternoon’s matchup.
September 10, 2025

ESPN’s ‘MNF’ Ratings Up 8% As NFL Surges to Strong Start

ESPN posts its second-best Week 1 “Monday Night Football” audience.
Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills fans react during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium.
September 9, 2025

As Bills Ascend, Their Next Frontier Lies in Canada

Buffalo and the powerful Canadian entity MLSE come together in a new pact.
Mar 4, 2025; Washington, DC, USA; House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., speaks with Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene, R-Ga., ahead of President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 4, 2025.

House Republicans Delay SCORE Act Vote Tentatively Planned for Next Week

They didn’t believe they had enough votes to pass the bill.
Feb 17, 2024; Boise, Idaho, USA; Fresno State Bulldogs guard Jalen Weaver (5) during the first half against the Boise State Broncos at ExtraMile Arena.
September 10, 2025

NCAA Bans 3 Basketball Players for Violating Betting Rules Last Season

The former San Jose State and Fresno State players have lost eligibility.
Jan 25, 2023; Langley, British Columbia, CAN; Highlights from the CHL Kubota Top Prospects game at the Langley Events Centre
September 10, 2025

NCAA Hockey Scouts Denied Passes for Crucial Recruiting League

The CHL won’t welcome scouts on passes: “It comes across as petty.”
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
NFL Congress
exclusive
September 10, 2025

College Sports ‘House of Cards’: Republicans, Lobbyists Work to Secure Votes to..

Several House Republicans criticized the SCORE Act on social media.
The cover of the College Football 25 video game.
exclusive
September 9, 2025

Group That Facilitated NIL Deal for Football Video Game Now Says It’s..

EA offered $1,500 and no royalties; it also deleted an opt-out clause.
Sep 6, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; South Florida Bulls place kicker Nico Gramatica (7), South Florida Bulls long snapper Turner McLaughlin (48) and teammates celebrate after a game against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
September 8, 2025

USF Is the Newest Financial Underdog in the AP Top 25

USF’s athletic department brings in half the amount Florida does.
September 7, 2025

Oklahoma-Michigan Was a Battle of Dueling QB NIL Philosophies

Bryce Underwood got into a heated exchange with his teammate.