The USA Basketball men’s team made its way to Las Vegas this week as part of its preparations for the Summer Olympics in Paris. As is tradition when the senior side is out there, a number of younger players get to go as part of the Select Team, and there are famous stories of that squad taking it to the Olympic team in the past.
This time around, much was made of one particular addition to the Select Team: Cooper Flagg, the 17-year-old incoming college freshman who is headed to Duke and is the first college player to get an invitation since 2013. Flagg, who is the favorite to go No. 1 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, has earned praise during his stint in Vegas, and on Monday, he turned heads during the scrimmage between the two teams, as Ben Golliver of the Washington Post tweeted out a collection of his highlights during the game that made him look like much more than a talented teenager who has yet to play college ball.
Duke commit Cooper Flagg cashes a three over Lakers’ Anthony Davis during USA Basketball scrimmage pic.twitter.com/LVgLji6rQj
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) July 8, 2024
Duke commit Cooper Flagg hits a turnaround over Celtics’ Jrue Holiday during USA Basketball scrimmage pic.twitter.com/zEIDYVVNnv
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) July 8, 2024
At one point in the scrimmage, Flagg pulled up for a three over Anthony Davis and knocked it down, got back on defense, and after a turnover, ran the floor for a putback with no one near him.
Duke commit Cooper Flagg has taken over USA Basketball scrimmage: hits a three and then finishes a tough putback pic.twitter.com/SB3Y4fDpYt
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) July 8, 2024
Ultimately, the senior team picked up a 74-73 win, but Flagg received some awfully high praise after the game ended.
Was Cooper Flagg the best player on the USA Select Team? One current NBA head coach in attendance said yes.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) July 8, 2024
The No. 1 recruit in the class of 2025, Flagg is a Maine native who attended Montverde Academy and is the headliner of Duke’s top-ranked recruiting class.