Sweet 16: From Cooper Flagg to John Calipari to R.J. Davis

An offseason coaching carousel that spun at dizzying speed. A 2024 freshman class loaded with top-tier talent. Rising NIL budgets that enable fringe NBA prospects to earn more money staying in college than turning pro.

Add that all up and what do you get? One of the more compelling college basketball seasons in recent memory.

The new season tips off Monday with 19 of the preseason AP Top 25 in action and ends in San Antonio on the first Monday night in April. Below are the 16 players and coaches that we expect to define those five months of basketball.

1. Cooper Flagg

The last time a celebrated freshman siphoned mainstream attention away from the NBA or NFL, Zion Williamson was dunking his way onto America’s TV screens and social media feeds. This season, another must-see Duke freshman has a chance to entice casual college basketball fans to tune in before March.

Presumptive future No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg is the rare prospect who can impose his will on a game without dominating the ball. The 6-foot-9 forward is a relentless defender on and off the ball, a willing passer and an elite offensive rebounder. He is not yet the best in his class attacking off the bounce and creating shots for himself, but even that area of his game has come a long way in recent years.

Though Flagg won’t turn 18 until December, playing against older competition is unlikely to faze him. Not only has he played up an age group or two since grade school in AAU competition, he also famously held his own practicing against the NBA superstars on the gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic team last summer.

After 15 seasons at Kentucky, John Calipari has moved on to work his magic at Arkansas. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) (Wesley Hitt via Getty Images)

2. John Calipari

As John Calipari opens his debut season at Arkansas, the most intriguing question about the 65-year-old hall of famer is a simple one: Does he still have it?

Is Calipari capable of anything close to the stretch he produced during the…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/sweet-16-from-cooper-flagg-to-john-calipari-to-rj-davis-114605642.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-10-30 11:46:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.