The presumed number one overall pick quietly made a loud statement.
Is there such a thing as a ‘quietly loud statement?’
Call it an oxymoron, but Cooper Flagg said something very interesting to The Athletic.
The 18-year-old freshman is all but guaranteed to go number one in the NBA draft if and when he declares.
He has been looked at as the next truly generational one-and-done prospect.
He has been mentioned within the same breath as Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony.
Teams have already started stealthily tanking for Flagg in the Association.
However, what if he doesn’t declare for the draft at the end of Duke’s season, and decides to return to Durham, North Carolina.
A thought that seemed inconceivable a week ago.
But then The Athletic dropped a story on Tuesday afternoon on Flagg.
And in it, he quietly made a loud statement.
“I want to come back next year,” Flagg said.
He has lived up to every massive expectation and then some.
Duke is off to a scorching 20-3 start, ranked third in the AP Poll and currently first in the ACC.
All signs point to a deep tournament run, with Flagg becoming the next great one-and-done freshman.
Unless of course he chooses to return.
And if what he told The Athletic is true, this may just be his opening act in Durham.
“I always wanted to play in college at the highest level and compete for a national championship,” Flagg said.
“That sort of thing is what I dreamed about.”
What if Duke falls short of a national championship?
Will Flagg put the NBA on hold?
He said he wants to come back, but it would be foolish to take anything that’s said in February as fact.
Not only is he the odds-on favorite to go first in the draft, he is also the favorite to win every National Player of the Year award.
Not an exaggeration.
He leads Duke in points (19.5), rebounds (7.7), assists (4.0) and blocks (1.3) per game.
He is doing things that no freshman should be doing.
Let alone a freshman that should technically still be a senior in high school.
“Generational,” Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes called him.
Generational may be an understatement.
All eyes will be on Flagg whenever the Blue Devils’ season comes to a close, and whether or not he takes the leap to the NBA or decides to run it back.
Stay tuned.