Cooper Flagg is dominating in what might be his only college season. The projected No. 1 NBA draft pick for 2025 has helped lead Duke back to the Top 5, even if they did drop down one spot in today’s rankings. The standout freshman, who has an NIL value of $2.9 million today, was already at $2.6 million before ever stepping foot on a college court. But as always, Flagg is not the only talent in this rookie class. Who bags the ultimate individual player title?

Two names have been constantly brought up in comparison to the Blue Devils stars – Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper. Where conversation around Bailey has died down a little, Harper still stands strong, especially after his two breakout performances in November in Las Vegas. Six months away from the NBA Draft, one executive believes not Flagg but Harper, who has an NIL value of $1.6 million per On3, will be the Rookie of the Year, per Jeremey Woo of ESPN.

“[Flagg] is in the driver’s seat and will be for a long time, but I think Dylan Harper will be the rookie of the year,” the anonymous general manager said. “He may not be better 10 years from now, but I think he’s the most ready. If you have a lot of wings or younger bigs already on the roster, just take him. [Harper] is the only guy that could threaten him.”

Although many believe that unless an injury or something else drastic occurs, Flagg will be the comfortable No. 1 pick in 2025, but the Rutgers freshman will be giving him fierce competition. Putting up 23.5 points per game, Harper just impressed in a buzzer-beater win against Seton Hall, whereas Duke just won a game against UIW, even if the slow start didn’t look promising.

At the end of the day, Harper is a better scorer and his offense is stronger, but then Cooper Flagg is a better overall player with a good combination of size, mobility, skill, and basketball IQ. As the GM who picked Harper over Flagg for ROTY also put it, “But again, I’d take Cooper at the end of the day, because if all the stars align, it’s not close.”

Another scout picked Flagg as the comfortable No. 1 pick, however, echoing the major discourse around him.

“It’s his to lose”: Veteran scout on Cooper Flagg’s No. 1 spot

While many agree that Cooper Flagg would have been the No. 1 pick in 2024 as well had he been eligible, the task of putting a player at that top spot comes with a reponsibility because it might decide the entire course of a franchise. Last year in 2023, it was obvious that no one could grab that spot other than Victor Wembenyama.

But even if Flagg does not have that unique athleticism that Wemby has, he’s still the most easy choice for many. Jeremy Woo wrote, “One Eastern Conference scout projected Flagg’s chances of going No. 1 at 90%, and, ‘it’s his to lose. If I’m making the No. 1 pick, my comfort level knowing the kid, his character, work ethic and talent, I’m sleeping easily all summer long.'”

So the common consensus seems to be that although Dylan Harper may be having a better rookie year because of his more defined offensive capabilities, there is much more Cooper Flagg can do on the court even when he’s not scoring. So unless something major happens to knock him off his course, the Duke standout is the No. 1 2025 NBA Draft Pick even if he’s not this year’s ROTY.