Duke’s star guard Cooper Flagg, considered a prodigy, led his team to a 65-76 victory over the Cardinals on Sunday, securing their eighth win of the season. Flagg posted 20 points, 12 rebounds, and no turnovers. The 17-year-old remains on track to secure the No. 1 spot in the NBA draft, while his rival has shattered Jeff Goodman’s predictions and climbed to the top of the conference.

With an 88-74 win over the Wisconsin Badgers, Marquette claimed the top spot in the Big East, registering their ninth win. The 6.5 guard Kam Jones stood out, scoring 32 points, leaving analyst Jeff Goodman in awe after witnessing his performance. Goodman had not even ranked Marquette in his preseason top 25.

In the latest episode of The Field of 68: After Dark, the hosts discussed how Kam Jones is the best guard in college basketball. “I think the better question is the best player in college basketball, forget about the best guard,” Goodman stated. You can right now put Kam Jones, I think, in a class with Johni Broome and Cooper Flagg as the three best players so far in college basketball this season, and Kam Jones might be no.1 for me.” 

Kameron Jones has excelled this season, averaging over 20 points per game in Marquette’s 10 matches, with just one loss. He ranks 11th in the nation for assists, averaging 6.6 APG ahead of Cooper Flagg.

“I was worried about Marquette going to the season I didn’t rank him pre-season top 25 because without Tyler Kolek I didn’t know if Kam Jones would be able to handle this, but he’s more than shown he can handle it.”  The New York Knicks selected Kolek as the 34th pick in the 2024 season. Jones and Kolek formed a perfect mix, widely regarded as the country’s best dynamic duo. Analysts hesitated to put them in their preseason top 25 due to the absence of one of the best point guards, but Jones’ performances have completely changed the narrative.

Cooper Flagg ranked ahead of Kam Jones in the 2024-25 preseason top 100

Ahead of the NCAA basketball season, a top 100 player list ranked the best players in the nation. ESPN named Cooper Flagg the No. 1 men’s college basketball player, ahead of Kam Jones, who ranked 11th overall. Flagg maintained his stats as the season progressed, but senior guard Jones quickly closed the gap, becoming a National Player of the Year contender.

The Blue Devils’ freshman is averaging 17 points and 9 rebounds, ranking 111th overall. In contrast, Kam Jones averages 20.3 points and ranks 35th. On the NIL front, Cooper Flagg holds a $2.9 million valuation, while Kam Jones follows at $2 million. As Jones rises, Flagg also climbs, with Jones, at 22, having more experience, while Flagg, still a freshman, learns college basketball.

While the Golden Eagles top their conference, Duke struggles at fifth despite veterans like Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster. Kam Jones has become a threat to Flagg, who, as Duke’s standout player, lacks the support to contend for a national championship.