Duke’s Flagg, UNC’s Davis emphasize Wooden watch

• Myron Medcalf, ESPN

  • Personnel WriterNov 7, 2024, 04:38 PM ET Close Covers college basketball
  • Signed up with ESPN.com in 2011
  • Graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato

The theme of this year’s nationwide player of the year race appears clear: youth vs. experience.Duke star Cooper Flagg

, the agreement projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, signs up with North Carolina star RJ Davis, the ruling ACC player of the year, and 40 other upperclassmen on the guys’s basketball Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watchlist, which was revealed on Thursday.Flagg, a 6-foot-9 standout whom LeBron James has actually called a future face of the NBA, began his college profession with an 18-point effort in Duke’s 96-62 win over Maine on Monday at Cameron Indoor Stadium.Editor’s Picks 1 Associated Rutgers’Ace Bailey, another forecasted lottery game pick, Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe and UConn’s

Liam McNeeley were the other freshmen on the list. However the 41 upperclassmen includes players like Kansas star Hunter Dickinson, one of 4 Jayhawks on the preseason leading 50 list.Alabama’s Mark Sears, UConn’s Alex Karaban, Gonzaga’s Graham Ike and Arizona’s Caleb Love were also selected.While the preseason list features the early candidates to win the prominent honor, players can be included and eliminated over the course of the season.

In among the more memorable Wooden Award battles in recent memory, previous Indiana star Victor Oladipo failed to make the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 list during the 2012-13 season but he ended up second to then-Michigan star Trey Burke.The sport will have its very first new winner in 2 years after previous Purdue star Zach Edey won the Wood Award in both 2023 and 2024. Flagg’s debut has been one of the most expected launchings for a freshman considering that Zion Williamson’s only season throughout the 2018-19 project. The freshman will have to overcome a fleet of skilled veterans– and history– to secure the honor this season. Flagg has a chance to end up being simply the 4th guys’s basketball player to win the Wooden Award as a freshman. Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis and Williamson are the only freshmen who have actually won the honor as freshmen.During a current interview with ESPN, Flagg said he’s concentrated on this year’s group goals, but he likewise confessed that protecting the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft would be significant to him.”Certainly, that’s a dream,”he said.”

That’s something I’m attempting to work toward each and every single day. It would indicate a lot, obviously, it would be a true blessing. But, I imply, that’s not really my primary focus. I believe, for me, it’s almost improving every single day for my colleagues and for myself and trying to win every day and I think all of that other stuff will work itself out. “