"They didn't realize how special he is": Coach K reflects on scouting projected first-overall pick Cooper Flagg

Duke star Cooper Flagg has been the presumptive choice to be the 2025 NBA Draft's No. 1 pick since he reclassified and committed to the Duke Blue Devils. The talented star grabbed the headlines once again on Tuesday when the Dallas Mavericks won the right to pick first during the upcoming draft despite having just a 1.8% chance of winning the lottery.

During Wednesday's segment of "The Herd," legendary former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, aka "Coach K," gave his recollection of scouting Flagg when he was just 14 years old (0:50).

"You know, I do not (remember first seeing Flagg), because I'm three years retired, so Shire must have seen him when he was 14, but I did see him when he was at Mount Vern. They have four from his high school team. They have four kids who are going to be first-round draft picks.

"And I knew he was special, but because they had so much talent, they didn't realize how special he is, and this kid plays every play hard, yes, every play."

Coach K addresses Cooper Flagg's comparison to NBA star

Fan-favorite Cooper Flagg has been getting a lot of hype as draft night approaches, and one NBA star he has been compared to is Boston Celtics dynamo Jayson Tatum. This is mainly due to their shared athleticism and scoring ability.

During Tuesday's segment of "The Herd," former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski addressed Flagg's comparison to Taytum (1:45).

"I think they're two different players. They're both 6'8". Actually, I think Cooper grew about an inch here. You know, he's still only 18 years old, so he's still growing. He might end up being 6'10"," Krzyzewski said. "Jayson, I think offensively, really has developed into a great shooter. Jayson, he's really developed differently than I think Cooper will develop.

"Cooper Flagg is just unique. You know, like he's so strong. His legs are so strong. And athletically, Jayson, he's gifted. But attitudinally, when you add what his athletic ability and his competitive, attitude, you have a very special guy. He can really score the ball. I think he's a good shooter, trying to become a really good shooter."

Tatum starred for the Duke Blue Devils under Coach K between 2016 and 2017, leading the team to the ACC Tournament championship before declaring for the 2017 NBA draft, where he was picked No. 3 overall.

Cooper Flagg's NBA career is one of the most anticipated for a prospect in recent memory, and the comparisons to various NBA stars will likely follow him for most of his career.