There is no denying that Cooper Flagg has an impeccable impact in college basketball. Not only is he a standout player for the Duke Blue Devils, he has been the apparent overall first pick for the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft. With these things said, Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball team head coach Bill Self has one 5-star recruit that he boldly predicted to make the same impact as Flagg.
In a media appearance ahead of the Big 12 Tournament earlier this week, the head coach expressed his high expectations for the new recruit, who he likened to Cooper Flagg.
“I will tell you this, he’s gonna be in the conversation,” Bill Self said about Peterson’s expected impact. “He’s good and do I expect him to have the same impact? If we win at the level that Duke’s won at this year, he’ll get the lion’s share of the credit.”
“He’ll be different,” Self added. ”He’ll be new and he’ll help create an atmosphere and a culture that I’m sure Cooper has helped with Duke in an immense way. I do believe that to be the case.”
Darryn Peterson, a 5-star recruit, committed to the Kansas Jayhawks as part of the Class of 2025. Standing at 6’6″, Peterson is a shooting guard from Prolific Prep who has garnered significant attention for his exceptional skills and versatility on the court.
Peterson chose Kansas over offers from Kansas State, Ohio State, and USC. His commitment is considered a major win for the Jayhawks, as he is expected to have a significant impact on the program.
Cooper Flagg May Skip NBA Draft for NIL Money – Analyst
While Cooper Flagg has long been the apparent first pick for the 2025 NBA Draft, there have also been rumors of him skipping this year’s draft to take on one more college season. For one analyst, that might be the case—except, it would be because Flagg may still want the NIL deals he is enjoying.
“Betting odds out there say he’s more likely to return to Duke than to play for the Hornets,” analyst and insider Kevin O’Connor said in his podcast. “I don’t buy that he’s more likely to come back to Duke.”
“However, there will be a day I think we’d see a projected No. 1 pick decide to go back to school because the NIL money is just so significant that they’ll say, ‘You know what? I’ll take some losses for one year in order to live a college life again.”
This season, Cooper Flagg has averaged 19.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game.
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