No one in the ACC has an answer for how Duke is playing. The Cooper Flagg-led team is currently ranked #3 in the whole nation, boasting of an impressive 15-1 conference record. After a strong wakeup call against the Clemson Tigers, Jon Scheyer’s team rallied together even stronger. Not only that, they have managed to slowly rid themselves of an offensive dependency on Cooper Flagg.

When a team does really well, certain questions–certain comparisons–always pop up. Duke, in its program’s history, has always been a special team. But how would Flagg’s Blue Devils fare against a championship roster?

On the podcast ‘Sloane Knows,’ Duke legend Jay Williams had a sit-down conversation with the show host. When asked how his Duke squad would match up with the 2025 squad, Williams had a short yet strong response. “Oh, we’d smack them.”

Sloane doubled down, asking how many points Flagg would score against the 2001 Duke team. “Cooper [Flagg] is not gonna do anything against Shane Battier.” The former National College Player of the Year replied. “Shane Battier was 6’8, two time National Defensive Player of the Year, swiss army knife.” 

The match-up would certainly be fun to watch. An upcoming NBA prospect versus an NBA legend, who as Williams rightly pointed out, was a crucial cog in LeBron’s Miami championships.

“I think this Duke team is super special.” Williams said, giving credit to the Jon Scheyer-led team. However, experience plays a huge role in victory, and the ’01 squad had a lot of it! Williams pointed out that his team was a lot older, and a lot more mature than Cooper Flagg and company. “Our team, we were sophomores and seniors. Different than having four freshman.”

Nevertheless, both teams were great in their own times. The fact of the matter is that Cooper Flagg has a lot to prove this season, as he makes his case for both NPOY honors and the #1 draft pick. His versatility makes him a deadly, all-round player, drawing comparisons to legends left, right, and center.

Duke and NBA legend Carlos Boozer compares Cooper Flagg to foreign superstar

Comparisons have been endless for Cooper Flagg. Wherever he goes, whatever he does, people compare him to the legends of the past. Scottie Pippen is a name frequently attached to his, as both are point-forwards who can stretch the floor really well.

Duke legend Carlos Boozer, in an interview with Sports Seriously, was asked which NBA player Cooper Flagg reminded him of. “For me, defensively, he reminds me of Andrei Kirilenko. I don’t know if you remember AK47 but I was fortunate enough to play with him in Utah.” He said, complimenting his former teammate.

The six-foot-nine defensive beast was known for how disruptive his defense was. Boozer didn’t underplay his accomplishments, saying that Kirilenko would have 25 or so deflections every game.

When talking about Cooper Flagg’s offensive game, however, Carlos Boozer didn’t have an exact comparison ready. “Offensively, I don’t know. I think he’s coming. He’s a mix of a bunch of different guys. His offense game started off kind of slow, and then it just ramped up and it went crazy.”

Irrespective of the comparisons, Cooper Flagg has all of the tools he needs to succeed at the highest level. It will be interesting to see how his career pans out, and how he ends up doing in the NBA. One thing is for sure, however–all eyes will be on Duke and Cooper Flagg this coming March.