Assessing Cooper Flagg, Caleb Love, and Kon Knueppel in the Sweet 16 of the 2025 NCAA Tournament

March 28th, 2025

Yesterday, I took the time to watch Cooper Flagg and Duke face off against Caleb Love and Arizona in a very tough and competitive Sweet 16 matchup in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. This game lived up to expectations, and both Flagg and Love played really well, and Duke ended up getting a hard-fought win in this game. There were plenty of standout performances. Here are my thoughts on how Flagg, Love, and other various prospects fared, as well as where they may currently stack up as prospects for the NBA.

Duke’s 6-9 freshman forward, Cooper Flagg scored 30 points, made 3 three-pointers, and had 7 assists, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 1 steal in his team’s 100-93 win over Arizona. (Photo: Frank Franklin II/Associated Press, via Dayton Daily News)

Cooper Flagg had a tremendous showing to help lead Duke to a close win over Arizona. He is a very athletic, skilled forward that had a strong all-around game, and he consistently made sound, smart plays on both ends of the floor to help his team get the victory.

Flagg did a great job of shooting and scoring the basketball. He was excellent at knocking down outside shots, particularly from beyond the arc. He showed a knack for scoring on smooth pull-up jumpers, and he particularly was effective at going to his left. He also utilized a ball fake to make an open three early on, and Flagg was tremendous at making threes in this game.

Plus, he also showed a solid ability to score off the dribble. Flagg showed a good blend of foot speed, footwork, and scoring touch to consistently score when he would drive to the hoop. He would score on contested, fadeaway jumpers, could finish plays at the rim, and he also was effective as a scorer in the post. Flagg also did a great job of drawing fouls upon defenders in order to get to the free throw line. He also excelled at scoring on hustle plays, as he did a good job of scoring on the move.

Also, Flagg showcased great playmaking skills in this game. He tended to make great reads, and he also would break the press as the lead ball handler, as he would throw crisp, accurate passes to set up a wealth of scores for his teammates. He particularly had a knack for making passes off the dribble and throwing accurate lobs, and he was able to rack up many assists.

He also showed a satisfactory ability to rebound the basketball. Flagg was able to haul in multiple boards on both ends of the floor. He also defended well. He is a rangy defender that will use his length, athleticism, and timing to consistently challenge shots to force misses. Flagg was able to rotate to block a shot to prevent an opponent from scoring on the break. He also would contest shots out on the perimeter and around the basket to get stops for his team. Sometimes though, he would play too aggressively and take bad gambles, which would lead him to be out of position and cause his team to give up baskets.

In general, Flagg was terrific in this game, and he is an extremely competitive, very skilled player that did everything well in his team’s win over Arizona, and he looks to be the odds-on favorite to be the top pick of the 2025 draft. He is a very athletic, skilled forward that has a great deal of upside, and he is a very talented player that plays winning style of basketball and he has the skills, basketball IQ, and the mentality to be a superstar player in the NBA.

Arizona’s 6-4 senior guard, Caleb Love scored 35 points, made 5 three-pointers, and collected 4 rebounds in his team’s 100-93 loss to Duke. (Photo: Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images, via AZCentral)

Caleb Love put forth an excellent performance in his team’s tough loss to Duke. He is a very athletic, skilled combo guard that came ready to play, and he was able to shoot and score at will.

Love did a tremendous job of shooting and scoring the basketball. The way he played, he was basically like a certified bucket-getter in this game. He did a great job of making shots off the dribble, as he would explode to the hoop, and he would consistently finish plays in traffic and at the rim. He also was able to score on a quick floater early on. Plus, he shot the three-ball very well, and he did a great job of making pull-up threes, and he also ran quickly off of a ball screen to make a three-pointer to showcase his movement shooting skills. Plus, Love also ran the floor to get the ball down court, which enabled him to score on a high-flying dunk.

He also showcased decent playmaking skills. When he would look to pass, Love was able to throw accurate passes off the dribble and on the move to set up scoring chances for his teammates. Also, he was able to get boards on both ends of the floor to chip in on the glass. He also defended fairly well. Love is an active help defender, as he was able to leap up to intercept a pass to get a steal. He also poked a ball out of bounds to nearly get another. On one play though, he was called for a reach-in foul when defending an opposing ball handler, albeit the call may have been questionable that time.

In summary, Caleb Love played tremendous basketball in his team’s loss to Duke. He is a very underrated prospect, and he is a shot maker that tends to play well in big games. He could be a great find for an NBA team in the 2025 draft, and he could end up excelling in a microwave scorer type of role in the NBA.

Knueppel scored 20 points on 5 of 7 shooting, and he also had 4 rebounds and 3 assists in his team’s 100-93 win over Arizona last night. (Photo: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Associated Press, via Idaho State Journal)

Kon Knueppel also played very well in his team’s win over Arizona. He is an agile, skilled sharpshooting swingman that particularly excelled at making shots to help his team get the victory.

Knueppel shot the ball very well, especially from downtown. He did a great job of running off of ball screens to make quick, open threes to showcase his strong movement shooting skills. He also was able to pull up to make a smooth three-pointer another time. He also did a good job of scoring on solid drives to the hoop, as he was particularly effective at going to his right.

Also, Knueppel showcased decent playmaking skills. He is a cerebral playmaker that passed the ball very well, and he did a great job of throwing accurate lob passes to set up scores for his teammates at the rim. On the downside, sometimes he would over-dribble, which would lead to ball-handling turnovers, and he also dropped a pass that went out of bounds another time.

He also was able to haul in boards on both ends of the floor to help chip in on the glass. He also defended well. Knueppel did a good job of using his length and agility to contest outside shots to force misses. On one play though, he got beat off the dribble, which led him to commit a foul and allow a score that time.

Overall, Kon Knueppel played very well as he primarily excelled as a shooter and scorer to help his team get the win, and he also turned in a very good all-around game. He is a very skilled swingman that will likely be a lottery pick in the 2025 draft, and he has the skills to develop into being a solid complementary player in the NBA.

Khaman Maluach had a solid showing in his team’s win over Arizona. After overcoming a slow start and early foul trouble in the first half, Maluach settled in and made a big impact as a very athletic, energetic interior player to help his team in this game.

Maluach excelled at scoring on hustle plays as well as out of the post. He would often score on rolls to the rim, and he was quite effective at catch lobs to finish plays around the basket. He also can get the ball on the move to consistently score around the basket, and he would sometimes score on thunderous dunks. Plus, he also was able to score on a timely tip-in off of an offensive rebound. He also showed off a promising low post game by managing to score on a smooth jump hook once.

He also showcased above average playmaking skills. He showed the ability to pass out of the post to keep the ball moving, and he was effective at setting and moving quickly off of screens to create scoring chances for himself and his teammates.

Also, he did a decent job of rebounding the basketball, and Maluach was able to get boards on both ends of the floor. He also defended well. He did a tremendous job of blocking shots, as he would use his great length, athleticism, and timing to swat shots both out on the perimeter and in the paint to get stops for his team. Sometimes though, he would play too aggressively, which would lead him to commit touch fouls and wind up out of position on occasion.

Overall, Khaman Maluach played well in this game, and he especially excelled at making plays in the second half to help his team get the win. He is a very athletic, energetic big man that has a fairly polished skill set, and he will likely be a lottery pick in the 2025 draft, as he has the skills to be a solid starter in the NBA.

Henri Veesaar had a solid showing in his team’s loss to Duke. He is an athletic, energetic big man that excelled at making hustle plays, especially in the second half, and Veesaar made some impressively athletic plays in this game.

Veesaar showed a knack for scoring on hustle plays. He was particularly effective at scoring on thunderous dunks, as he was able to score on a thunderous put back slam, and he also caught a lob to score on a magnetic alley-oop dunk off of a roll to the rim. He also managed to score powerful around the basket while getting fouled once. On the downside, he was less effective at scoring in one-on-one situations, which would sometimes lead to misses.

Also, Veesaar did a decent job of rebounding the basketball. He was also active defensively, but sometimes he would play too aggressively, which would lead him to commit touch fouls.

Overall, Veesaar played well in this game, and he is an athletic, energetic big man that could be a good find for an NBA team, especially in the late first to the second round range of the 2025 draft, and he could end up being a solid role player in the NBA.

Sion James also played well in his team’s win over Arizona. He was very effective in making shots in this game, and he did a great job of making open corner threes to provide floor spacing for his team. He also showed a solid ability to score off the dribble, and he is a patient player that would make strong moves to do so.

Also, he showcased satisfactory playmaking skills in this game. James is an unselfish player that will make the extra pass to get the ball to his teammates, and he was able to get a handful of assists in this game. However, sometimes he would tend to over-dribble, which also led him to commit some turnovers.

Though he didn’t get many rebounds in this game, James was able to get multiple offensive boards for Duke. He was active defensively, but sometimes he would struggle to guard quicker players off the dribble, which would lead his team to commit fouls as a result.

Overall, James had a solid showing in this game, and he was instrumental in helping his team get a hard-fought win over Arizona. He could end up being a very good find for an NBA team in the 2025 draft, and he has the skills to be a versatile role player in the NBA.

Jaden Bradley also had a solid showing in his team’s tough loss to Duke. He is an athletic, skilled point guard that particularly excelled at making plays on offense. He showed a knack for making pull-up jumpers, particularly from the mid-range, but he also made a pull-up three to showcase his shooting skills. He also was effective at scoring off the dribble, and he also was able to use a crafty pump fake to score in traffic once. Plus, he also passed the ball well, as he was effective at finding teammates on the move to set up scores for them. Overall, Bradley played very well in his team’s loss to Duke, and he could end up being a good find for an NBA team, as he could end up being a solid role player in the NBA.

Patrick Ngongba II had a decent showing in his team’s win over Duke. He is an athletic, energetic big man that excelled as a scorer on offense, but he also ended up fouling out. He did a good job of finish plays around the basket, as he would often score on powerful dunks. He was able to catch a lob to score on a powerful jam due to possessing good hands, athleticism, and strength. He also used a pump fake off of a short roll to score on another slam. Plus, he also managed to use a spin move on a drive to score on a turnaround jump hook while getting fouled due to possessing good footwork and shooting touch.

On the downside, he was called for setting a moving screen once. He tended to play too aggressively on the defensive end, which would lead him to wind up in foul trouble. On one good play defensively, he was able to successfully draw a charge when defending on a drive once.

Overall, Ngongba played fairly well, as he was able to provide his team with a boost off the bench on offense, and despite getting into foul trouble, he’s shown promise as an athletic, energetic big man for the NBA. He’ll need to get more playing time and will need to refine his skills, but he could be a key prospect to watch on Duke’s team next season.

Isaiah Evans didn’t play very much, but he was able to make one really good shot to remind NBA scouts why he may be on draft boards this year. On one play, he ran quickly off of a ball screen to make a quick three-pointer off the catch to showcase his sharpshooting prowess and movement shooting skills. Overall, he hasn’t quite gotten as much playing time as anticipated recently, but he’s had some really good games, and his skill set, jump shot, athleticism, and upside could enable him to be a legitimate draft prospect in this year’s draft, as he could end up going in the late first to the second round range this year.

Tyrese Proctor didn’t have nearly as good of a game as he did previously, but he was still able to show some skills in his team’s win over Arizona. Despite not shooting well overall, he showed off a solid floater game, and he was able to make a smooth, open pull-up three once. However, he was inconsistent with his outside shot, and he struggled to make threes consistently.

He did pass the ball well. He showed a knack for making quick drive and kick passes to set up scores for his teammates. On one play though, he over-dribbled and had a ball ripped away from him to commit a turnover. Defensively, he was active, but he would sometimes struggle to defend quicker players, which would lead him to commit fouls.

Overall, Proctor didn’t have his best game, but he is an agile, skilled playmaker that has been surging as of late, and his jump shot, skill set, and feel for the game could enable him go in the late first to the second round range of the 2025 draft, as he has the skills to be a solid, game managing point guard at the NBA level.

Carter Bryant didn’t play very well in his team’s loss to Duke. He did a decent job of making spot-up threes off the catch, and he moved off the ball to make one early on to show some movement shooting skills, but he also struggled to score out of the post or from the mid-range.

While he didn’t grab as many rebounds as anticipated in this game, he was able to get multiple offensive boards for Arizona. He also played adequate defense. He was able to notch a pair of steals for his team. However, he also struggled to defend quicker players off the dribble, which would lead him to allow scores. Overall, Bryant didn’t have his best game, but he is an athletic, skilled forward that could end up going in the late first to the second round range, as he projects well into a 3 and D role at the NBA level.

Caleb Foster barely played in this game. He was basically a non-factor in his team’s win over Arizona. In his lone shot attempt against them, he moved off the ball to get it, but he missed a quick corner three that time. He was held scoreless in limited minutes. Overall, this wasn’t a showcase game for him, but Foster is an athletic, skilled swingman that could project to be a versatile role player at the NBA level.

All in all, those are my thoughts on how Flagg, Love, and other various prospects fared in this game. It was a fun, exciting game that lived up to its expectations, and it did not disappoint. It will be interested to see who will win this tournament. Thanks for reading.