One of the major narratives of this year’s men’s college basketball season centers on Cooper Flagg and his potential to become the best player in the sport. As the projected top pick in the 2025 draft, Flagg faces competition from Rutgers’ dual threats, Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, though Harper is currently viewed as the more significant contender. The question remains: has Flagg’s arrival at Duke positively impacted the team?
Duke recently achieved a solid 68-47 victory over George Mason, with Flagg shining particularly in the second half. However, in his newsletter Out 2 Win, focused this time on marketable men’s basketball teams, Jack Alder points out that Duke still lags behind North Carolina. According to Alder’s update, North Carolina earns a score of 86, while Duke is rated at 85. He also highlights the impact of coaching legend Bill Belichick joining UNC’s NFL team, which enhances the university’s overall profile.
“With a storied history and a strong fan base, the Tar Heels consistently rank high in national polls,” writes Alder. “Will the recent appointment of NFL legend Bill Belichick as head football coach further elevate the university’s profile across sports?” In a world where college coaches are moving away from it because of NIL, Belichick’s name might lend the school a certain value.
But interestingly, Alder mentions that Duke, next on his list, is still the most known for basketball. “Known for their consistent performance and strong recruiting classes, the Blue Devils maintain a significant presence in college basketball,” writes Alder, then going on to state their rank. Where Duke is ranked 5th on the AP poll, UNC is not even in the Top 25 this week.
Additionally, Duke boasts arguably one of the most famous names in college hoops, with a massive NIL value of $2.7 million per On3. And yet Cooper Flagg’s name does not lift up the college in overall popularity, as that honor still goes to North Carolina.
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