The projected number one overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft will compete with the likes of Mark Sears, RJ Davis and Hunter Dickinson to take home college basketball's top honor this season.
College basketball began its season on November 4 with a number of games involving the sport’s top title contenders having made its debuts in the short span. So far no crazy upsets have taken place outside of UCF taking down 13th-ranked Texas A&M on its home floor. Gonzaga defeated Baylor in a battle of top-10 squads, but the Bears will have plenty of time to improve its 0-1 record before the tournament begins in March. Catching the most eyes might be the Duke Blue Devils’ Cooper Flagg, the projected number one overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and the reason many franchises in the league may begin “tanking” as soon as the spring hits.
The Blue Devils were able to handle Maine with ease, as Flagg showed off impressive athleticism on his way to accounting for 18 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals. The only concern the 17-year old left behind in his debut was a 0/4 performance from three-point range, but that is something NBA teams will hope develops over the course of the regular season. The prospect isn’t quite seen on the same level as former number one picks Victor Wembanyama or Zion Williamson, a former Duke player himself, but does possess the talent necessary to become a franchise star shortly after going pro.
On William Hill, Flagg is the leader to win the John Wooden award, given to the Nation’s best collegiate basketball player each year. Voters will most likely be naturally swayed to vote for Flagg given the reputation he’as already built as a future star, but there are still plenty of talented players remaining in college basketball that could prove more worthy than the Duke sensation.
Mark Sears of the Alabama Crimson Tide started the season well with a 20-point performance in a win over UNC-Asheville and is coming off a season in which he averaged 21.5 points per game while shooting 43.6% from deep. The Crimson Tide made the program’s first-ever Final Four appearance in the tournament last season, mainly led by Spears in each contest. The team only saw its run end at the hands of the UConn Huskies, which went on to win the National Championship in rather dominant fashion.
Spears is currently second in Wooden award odds at +700, leaving Flagg with a sizable lead as expectations remain incredibly high even a month out before he turns 18-years old. Behind Sears are RJ Davis and Hunter Dickinson, both listed at +800 by the operator and having played well in their opening games of the season. Davis had the most points of the four players mentioned up to this point, generating 24 points in a 90-76 victory against Elon, while Dickinson accounted for 16 points, six rebounds, two blocks and three steals.
Unlike Flagg, however, all three of the other Wooden award competitors listed are seniors, as compared to Flagg’s freshman standing. The age difference won’t make too much of a difference if Flagg is as advertised, but former Purdue Boilermaker Zach Edey won the previous two Wooden awards at the ages of 21 and 22. Edey was also a rather unusually daunting presence at 7’4” and 305 lbs, but still turned himself into being worthy of the ninth overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and has started his rookie year positively by averaging 11.1 points per game.
Flagg is surrounded by other talented players such as fellow freshman Kon Knueppel, Caleb Foster and Tyrese Proctor, which could hurt his Wooden award stock if the Blue Devils choose to spread scoring opportunities across the roster. Duke should know what it has in Flagg, however, and it will most likely not be long until he proves that running the offense through his capabilities is best for the team.
Dickinson, Sears and Davis could have all entered the 2024 Draft after their respective seasons in 2023-2024, but each chose to continue building draft stock despite what was considered a weak overall class. In the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft, prospects such as Flagg, Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper from Rutgers and Nolan Traore out of France are all seen as potentially elite prospects that will be taken with the top 10, or even five picks possibly. Whereas last season there was discussion all the way up to the night of the draft about who would be taken number one overall by the Atlanta Hawks. The three should be motivated to continue proving they are worth becoming first round picks, which could prove favorable to bettors that believe Flagg may rely on his current reputation.
The Blue Devils are tied in odds to win the National Championship with the Huskies at +800 on William Hill, followed by Dickinson’s Kansas Jayhawks at +1000 as well as the Gonzaga Bulldogs and the Crimson Tide at +1200. If Duke ends up playing for a title while led by Flagg, the spotlight would secure his standing as the number one overall prospect to enter the draft this spring. While most believe that will be true no matter what, Bailey, Harper and Traore are very talented players and could give Flagg a run for his money this season.
