Cooper Flagg has been as good as projected so far this college season. The Duke standout, who played on the USA Select Team this summer as the only collegiate student, has continued his impressive run with the Blue Devils. However, their latest loss to the Kansas Jayhawks has raised eyebrows among analysts, particularly Jeff Goodman.

The journalist, at the beginning of November, was all praises for Flagg’s performance. In a Nov. 17 After Dark video on YouTube, Goodman talks about the Duke freshman after losing a game. “You saw how pissed Cooper Flagg was in the postgame? He walked in and you could just see it on his face, how pis-ed he was. I saw him walking down the hallway.”

“That kid is just so hungry to win. We saw him in AAU, that kid is all about winning and the right things. That is gonna – it’s already rubbed off on a lot of those guys,” the journalist continues. This was still when Duke was winning, but after the Kansas loss, their record is 3-3 in six games. But just yesterday, Goodman seemed to have changed his tune as the Jayhawks won 75-72.

“I think that’s gonna be Jon Scheyer’s challenge at the end of the games – how do you figure it out with Cooper Flagg?” the journalist asks. “Because one of the issues Cooper Flagg is having – in AAU ball, he could just drive to the basket and overpower guys and pretty much do what he wanted.”

Flagg’s AAU stints include the 2022 USA Men’s U17 National Team, 2022 Men’s Junior National Team April minicamp, and 2024 USA Men’s Junior National Select Team. Goodman admits the top recruit is still good, “Now his handle’s good – it’s really good for somebody his size – but still, he’s not a point guard. He’s not a guy that could just be put on the floor and change directions against really good, high-level college, like elite defenders, like K.J. Adams and Dajuan Harris.”

Projected to be the No. 1 pick in 2025, Flagg’s legend is already in the making. While Goodman believes he’s “gonna be further along No. 1”, he still urges Scheyer to take pressure off of him despite praising his winning hunger before. Unfortunately, Duke doesn’t have those players yet, as the journalist says, “(Tyrese) Proctor and (Caleb) Foster really aren’t that. (Kon) Knueppel in a two-man game might be your best bet down the road.”

As for the big man himself, he knows he’s not quite there yet. His offensive game is better than most, even if some, like Goodman, believe he’s not quite point guard material yet. But for Flagg, there’s one weapon in his arsenal yet.

Cooper Flagg has one surefire strategy to overcome “mistakes”

When Cooper Flagg finalized Duke out of all the high-rated prospect schools that wanted him, he did so for one major purpose – to be NBA-ready when the time came. It was the school his mom had always followed closely, and the talented freshman eventually developed a strong bond with coach Jon Scheyer. So, the Blue Devils were the clear choice after the tough seasons he had spent at Montverde Academy.

“I’ve faced every defense you can name,” Flagg said in May, per The Spokesman-Review. “Honestly, I like when teams throw a double team at me because I’m going to find the open man. I’m not a forcer. I’m trying to make the right play.” His ace-in-the-hole? “Playing hard makes up for a lot of mistakes.”

Described as a talent that blends old-school with modern playstyles, there’s certainly potential in the kind of player Cooper Flagg is right now. The intense interest in the most coveted teenager in men’s basketball is still at the beginning of his career, his first season in college ball. And although analysts like Jeff Goodman might change their opinion on him from time to time, the way Flagg is playing, it’s bound to change again soon!