Jazz Land Cooper Flagg, BYU Star in Latest Draft Prediction

The long-awaited Final Four in the Men’s NCAA Tournament is upon us, and Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman has dropped his latest NBA mock draft to pair alongside it.

In his pre-Final Four mock, the Utah Jazz hold the number-one overall pick, and the Cooper Flagg dream comes to life. Flagg will have the opportunity to prove yet again why he is a generational talent in an upcoming matchup against Houston.

“Cooper Flagg is now two games away from winning a national title before going No. 1 in the draft,” Wasserman wrote. “He'll face his toughest test of the season against a Houston defense that just held Tennessee to 50 points.”

Flagg is surrounded by NBA talent on the Duke roster, but he is certainly the driving force that makes the team go. He is one of the youngest players in the Final Four at 18 years old and should technically still be in high school, but decided to reclassify back in the summer of 2023. Flagg is averaging 19.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists while shooting 45.1% from the field and 42.1% from deep.

“Cooper Flagg's 30-point, seven-assist, three-block game against Arizona will be remembered,” Wasserman wrote. “He seemingly impacted every possession, whether he was creating offense, finishing it or making plays for teammates within the set. The preseason hype was extreme before the season, and Flagg has only exceeded the lofty expectations, specifically with his handle, off-the-dribble shotmaking and three-point shooting (49 3PTM, 37.4 percent). He's now going to the Final Four after scoring 16 points and helping Duke shut down Alabama's high-powered attack. There's little left to say about Flagg's versatility, rapidly-evolving skill level, competitiveness and ability to take games into his own hands.

Adding a talent like Flagg to a Jazz roster that already features players such as Lauri Markkanen and Isaiah Collier would accelerate Utah’s rebuilding timeline and push them closer to contention.

With their second first-round pick coming at No. 18 in this mock, the Utah Jazz are projected to take Egor Demin out of BYU. Demin is a point guard/small forward prospect who showcases elite playmaking skills as an offensive initiator. At 6-foot-9, he can see the floor well and pass from all angles over the defense.

“Egor Demin could have only helped himself in the NCAA tournament,” Wasserman wrote. “He showed how advantageous his size and ball-handling can be for slashing against Alabama. Against VCU, he hit three threes and a pair of fallaways, shots he made sporadically throughout the season that create some degree of hope/optimism in his potential to become a more reliable outside threat. Regardless, teams' main draw to Demin will be his playmaking, which projects to translate first and easiest. Bad turnovers, poor shooting and limited off-ball value just suggest Demin may be tough for NBA playoff teams to trust for minutes next year.”

BYU head coach Kevin Young’s NBA-style system has prepared Demin to take the leap to the next level. Demin would fit in nicely as a secondary playmaker for Utah, relieving Collier at times from his primary playmaking duties.

The NBA draft cannot come soon enough for Jazz fans who are ready to look forward to solidifying the future of the organization and putting this season in the rearview mirror.

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