Flagg Day

For the past couple of seasons, transfers have dominated the college basketball landscape. But every once in a while, big-name recruits reclaim the spotlight. This weekend marked one of those occasions.

Let's get to it.

1. Cooper Flagg re-classes to 2024

The writing was on the wall after Peach Jam — maybe even earlier — that Cooper Flagg would fast-track his path to the NBA. The nation’s No. 1 rising junior is now the nation’s No. 1 rising senior, upon Friday’s re-class announcement. After he broke the news, both On3 and 247Sports said he would stay at the top of their boards, knocking Dylan Harper from the top spot.

Almost a month ago, Rob Dauster reflected on the absurdity of Flagg’s Peach Jam performances. His defensive instincts, his eye-popping athleticism, his handle — it all evokes amazement from everyone who watches him. But it’s not just the highlights or the 30-point triple-doubles; Flagg’s feel and processing truly set him apart from your average No. 1 recruit.

Factor in a weak 2024 class and his decision became a no-brainer — his move makes the clearcut alpha and the early favorite for the top pick in the 2025 draft.

Now attention turns to Flagg’s college destination. Duke has long been considered the favorite (he grew up a Duke fan, and, well, his name is “Cooper Flagg”), and the speculation ramped up to a fever pitch when Blue Devils assistant Jai Lucas fired off a cryptic tweet shortly after the announcement.

Additionally, Duke has found a ton of success with Flagg-ish archetypes. From Justise Winslow to Brandon Ingram to Jayson Tatum to Zion Williamson to Paolo Banchero, Jon Scheyer can point to a laundry list of ball-handling forwards who blossomed in Durham.

The G League Ignite and UConn will keep making their respective pitches, but until Flagg schedules some more visits, my money will be on the Devils.

And that’s just for starters.

Look, it’s more than 600,000 words about the upcoming season, which means anyone who pre-orders it now — at just $15.99 — can read at their leisure, rather than the people who buy it in late October when it’s $19.99 and spend weeks cramming to ensure they’re not behind to start the season.

So why wait? Order The Almanac, Vol. 2 today.

2. Flory enters the Phog

Staying in the world of recruiting, Kansas landed a massive pickup on Saturday when 2024 big man Flory Bidunga chose the Jayhawks.

In most cases, Bill Self reeling in a 5-star recruit — a center, no less — would look like another day at the office. But Bidunga’s courtship was far from a normal recruitment. Considered a Duke-lean as recently as early-August, the narrative flipped late last week. On Friday evening, “crystal ball” predictions started rolling in, favoring the Auburn Tigers.

Thus, when our own Jeff Goodman tweeted out his prediction on Saturday, the Auburn fan backlash was noticeable, if not expected.

Maybe they should’ve been in Goodman’s Corner. He was only trying to give them a head’s up.

So…back to Kansas. What are the Jayhawks getting in Bidunga? Well, for starters, he’s a diabolical defender and a furious dunker.

(Side note: That mixtape is awesome. I miss good mixtapes.)

While he might be slightly undersized at 6-9, he more than makes up for it with his speed and otherworldly explosiveness. And as his highlights show, he’s comfortable with the ball in his hands.

Between Roy Williams and Bill Self, Kansas fans have enjoyed over three decades of (mostly) dominant post play. While much of college basketball changes, it appears that's one trend that will stay exactly the same.

Other notable commitments:

• Five-star guard Cam Scott is heading to the Lone Star State. The highly-touted 2024 recruit will play for Rodney Terry and Texas.

• Dennis Gates added some serious size to his frontcourt: 7-foot, 300-pound Peyton Marshall will play for Mizzou in the 2024-25 campaign.

• Xavier got a last-minute addition: Lazar Djokovic, a 6-10 Serbian forward.

• Gonzaga received a pledge from Croatian guard Luka Krajnovic.

• Top-60 prospect Sir Mohammed (2024) chose Notre Dame.

• Fringe top-100 guard Colin White selected Ohio State.

3. A check-in on the freshmen

Last week, we spotlighted numerous foreign tours, recapping the biggest storylines and concerns. This time around, we wanted to underline a pair of rookies performing up to or exceeding expectations.

The first had no shortage of notoriety upon enrolling in college: Isaiah Collier, the USC point guard and the consensus No. 1 player in his class.

USC played legitimate competition on its foreign tour to Greece and Croatia, and it left with a sterling 3-0 record. Collier, in particular, lived up to the billing. He absorbed contact around the basket, showcased acrobatic finishes and impressive burst and nailed live-dribble passes with ease. While this freshman class has been knocked for its lack of star power, Collier bucks that criticism.

And equally as important, his ability to run a team will free up teammate Boogie Ellis to do what he does best: Score.

The second freshman is a bit more enigmatic. Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, a one-time top 10 recruit and Purdue commit, saw his ranking fluctuate throughout the past two years before settling into the 100s. He will suit up for Illinois this season and has flashed versatile offense and eye-popping athleticism in the Illini’s foreign tour to Spain.

Yes, that’s an in-game windmill dunk. He’s only 6-foot.

Nevertheless, Gibbs-Lawhorn is more than the occasional viral highlight. Beyond his flair, Gibbs-Lawhorn projects as a high-level scorer who will boost Illinois’ offense — especially in light of missing out on a number of transfer point guards. As the Illini seek their first Sweet 16 since 2005, the freshman will play a vital role.

Who’s the top dog in high school?

If you’re not a UConn guy, apologies for the Top Dogs video. But the content is appropriate for today given Cooper Flagg’s reclassification. Is he the top overall player in high school, and not just the 2024 class? Or do Cam Boozer and AJ Dybantsa rise above him?

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Links as you watch this Almanac TikTok:

• The ACC voted against adding Cal and Stanford.

• West Virginia transfer Omar Silverio had his immediate eligibility waiver denied by the NCAA.

• Staying on the topic of WVU, Georgetown transfer Akok Akok committed to the ‘Eers.

• UCLA transfer Mac Etienne will play for DePaul.

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