The Duke guard had a slow first half against Kansas in Las Vegas, but there are key elements to his game that will translate to the pros.

Few high school programs pump out talent like Montverde Academy in Florida does. Their former players are thriving to begin their college careers — Cooper Flagg at Duke, Asa Newell at Georgia, Liam McNeeley at UConn and more. The same is true for Maryland's big man Derik Queen, who dominated the beginning of his season.

While this isn’t quite as much of a lock as it was when Victor Wembanyama went No. 1 overall in 2023, there is little doubt that whatever team wins the lottery will select Cooper Flagg as he has maintained pole position early in the season thus far.