The college basketball season is already flying by and taking shape, but two stars in particular are jumping off of the page.
Cooper Flagg is the superstar that everyone in the nation is talking about. Flagg has led prominent Duke to a 10-2 record, which is 2nd in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Duke has been looking for that box office superstar that they surely missed over the last few seasons, and Flagg has been the one.
Further up north, Rutgers basketball has made a resurgence in the basketball world. They made a splash by recruiting Dylan Harper and the potential number one pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Ace Bailey. Rutgers currently sits at an underwhelming 7-5 record, which is 15th in the Big Ten Conference.
Who Is The Better Prospect?
Cooper Flagg has the bigger name, everyone knows that. In the 2024 recruiting class by ESPN, he was ranked number one. He averaged 16.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.8 assist and 2.7 blocks a game his final season in high school. His all around play is something that grabbed people’s attention immediately. At Duke, he is averaging 16.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.3 blocks a game.
Ace Bailey is the dark horse pick to go number one in the draft. He was the number two ranked prospect in the 2024 recruiting class by ESPN. In high school, Bailey averaged 32.5 points, 15.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.4 blocks a game his senior year. The Rutgers basketball program has lacked superstar talent over the years, and the addition of Bailey has been a solid contributor.
So who will actually go number one?
The battle between Ace Bailey and Cooper Flagg is a close one. Both players can immediately impact any NBA they go to. Currently, the New Orleans Pelicans and Washington Wizards hold the worst records in the league. Both teams can start a proper rebuild around Flagg or Bailey. The two forwards are all around players that can help mold a team right now.
The stats are similar, the builds are similar, but who will ultimately be chosen first? The answer: Cooper Flagg. What makes Flagg have the edge over Bailey is the Team USA camp this past summer. Flagg displayed that he was able to face NBA competition before he even stepped foot on a college court. Going against Team USA, which is the best basketball team in the world, shows that Flagg has gained the trust of NBA scouts already.
Ace Bailey will most likely be the second overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, but that is certainly not a slight to him. Any team that gets him will drastically improve, and will have a great start to a rebuild.
Bailey & Flagg will headline the 2025 NBA Draft and be players that set a foundation for rebuilding franchises. They are the presumptive number one and two picks, for now. There is a lot of basketball left to play in the college season. Led by Flagg and Bailey, Duke and Rutgers will be looking to dance in March.
