Cal Preps for No. 3 Duke & Expected Top Pick Cooper Flagg

Duke freshman Cooper Flagg is expected to join the distinguished company of Oscar Robertson, Elgin Baylor, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor) and Bill Walton, former No. 1 NBA picks who crossed paths with Cal as collegiate up-and-comers.

The Bears (12-12, 5-8) make the trip to Cameron Indoor Stadium on Wednesday night to take on No. 3 Duke (20-3, 12-1) for the first time as new members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Tipoff s 6 p.m. on the ACC Network.

Their biggest obstacle, besides perhaps the student section known as the “Cameron Crazies,” will be Flagg, a 6-foot-9 forward with skills to do just about everything on the court.

ESPN college basketball analyst and Duke alum Jay Bilas called Flagg “the most advanced freshman in every facet of the game that Duke's had.

“I’m not saying he's the most talented. There have been some great freshmen here. But what he's doing on a competitive level—he's the most competitive freshman I've seen. It’s just on a different level with him.”

A native of Newport, Maine, Flagg leads the Blue Devils in scoring (19.5) rebounds (7.7), assists (4.0), steals (1.5) and blocked shots (1.3). He scored an ACC freshman-record 42 points in a win over Notre Dame and recorded 21 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocks in his first North Carolina-Duke game, sparking an 87-70 victory.

Cal coach Mark Madsen is plenty impressed.

Noting the combination of his size, length, shooting prowess and ability to see over defenses to pass the ball, Madsen labeled Flagg “incredibly unique.”

“He kind of has that balance between scoring and taking over games and then involving his teammates and making them better,” Madsen said. “I think Cooper Flagg is a tremendous talent. He is the best player in college basketball. He’s on his way to becoming an unbelievable NBA player.”

Madsen stopped short of comparing Flagg to anyone currently at the pro level. “If I compared him to certain NBA players, in a way it’s unfair to Cooper. Cooper can do some things that some of those guys can’t,” Madsen said. “Cooper Flagg is a generational talent and we have huge respect for his game.”

Stanford coach Kyle Smith, looking at Flagg’s skill and passion, called him a combination of former Duke stars Grant Hill and Christian Laettner.

Flagg, the consensus choice to be the top pick in the 2025 draft, would be the first No. 1 the Bears have faced since Arizona’s Deandre Ayton during the 2017-18 season. Ayton was too much for Cal, averaging 23 points and 15.5 rebounds in two UA wins.

The Bears played UNLV and forward Anthony Bennett twice during the 2012-13 season, holding him to seven points on 1-for-5 shooting in his final college game to capture their opening-round NCAA tournament matchup in San Jose.

Here are Cal’s other run-ins with a No. 1 pick:

— BILL WALTON: The Bears went 0-6 against Walton and his powerhouse UCLA teammates in 1972, ’73 and ’74, and few of them were close. He flirted with a triple-double in his final matchup vs. Cal, posting 17 points, 22 rebounds and eight assists in an 83-60 victory at Harmon Gym on March 1, 1974.

— DOUG COLLINS: A 6-6 guard at Illinois State, Collins averaged 29.4 over two college seasons before embarking on a successful career as a player, coach and announcer in the NBA. The Bears beat the Redbirds 82-72 on Dec. 29 1972.

— LEW ALCINDOR: The UCLA center, now known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, led the Bruins to three straight NCAA titles in 1967, ’68 and ’69, and was a perfect 6-0 vs. the Bears.

— BILL McGILL: Here’s a name we’re betting you don’t recall. The 6-foot-9 Los Angeles prep legend was recruited by Cal’s Pete Newell, according a Los Angeles Times story, but couldn’t qualify academically. He went to Utah, where he averaged 38.8 points as a senior and led the Utes to a 64-58 win over Cal that season. McGill’s success didn’t translate to the pros — he played for five NBA teams over three seasons and four ABA clubs in two years.

— OSCAR ROBERTSON: The Bears beat Robertson and Cincinnati two years in a row at the Final Four despite the Big O totaling 37 points, 19 rebounds and 19 assists in the two games.

— ELGIN BAYLOR: Baylor proved a tougher matchup, recording 26 points and 18 rebounds as Seattle ousted the Bears from the 1958 NCAA tournament, the year before Cal won the national title.

— BOB BOOZER: The forward from Kansas State averaged 25.6points as a senior in 1958-59, when he led the Wildcats to a 68-65 win over the Bears. He also beat Cal as a junior.

There are two more mega-stars from the past you’d think would be on this list: Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell. Neither actually was a No. 1 draft pick.

Russell, who prepped at McClymonds High School in Oakland and won two NCAA titles for San Francisco, was drafted No. 2 overall in 1956 by the St. Louis Hawks and immediately traded to the Celtics. The financially troubled Rochester Royals, reportedly worried they would be out-bid for Russell’s services by the Harlem Globetrotters, picked Duquesne’s Sihugo Green.

Chamberlain, who grew up in Philadelphia, was a territorial choice of the Philadelphia Warriors in 1959.

Let’s face it, in today’s NBA, Russell and Chamberlain would have been No. 1 picks. Cal faced Russell three times and Wilt twice. Lost all five.