Evaluating Cooper Flagg, Andrew Carr, and Khaman Maluach in the Champions Classic

November 13th, 2024

Yesterday, I took the time to watch Cooper Flagg and Duke take on Kentucky in the Champions Classic that took place in Atlanta. This game featured some of the best prospects for the 2025 draft, as Flagg looks to be the current favorite to be the top pick, and they also have a couple of other lottery pick candidates in Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach. It was a hard-fought game in which both teams traded leads, but Kentucky made a strong run in the second half by playing well on both ends of the floor to get a narrow comeback win over Duke, as they were led by strong performances from Andrew Carr and Otega Oweh. Here are my thoughts on Flagg, Carr, and other various prospects fared, as well as how they may currently stack up as prospects for the NBA.

Cooper Flagg scored 26 points and had 11 rebounds in his team’s 77-72 loss to Kentucky on November 12th in the Champions Classic. (Photo: John Bazemore/Associated Press, via Sportsnet)

Cooper Flagg had a strong showing in his team’s tough loss to Kentucky. He did a great job of attacking the hoop to score the basketball, and despite being inconsistent with his three-point shot and tendency to commit ball-handling turnovers down the stretch, he was able to show his prolific scoring and rebounding prowess with his strong ability to knock down shots throughout this game.

Flagg did a tremendous job of scoring off the dribble. He is a strong, crafty scorer that showed very good strength, showing touch, and footwork to consistently score and draw fouls to frequently get to the free throw line. He showed a knack for scoring in traffic, showed off a smooth pull-up game from the mid-range, and drew an abundance of free throws. He also was able to catch a lob pass to score off of a cut early on. He also excelled as a low post scorer, as his strength and quickness would enable him to effortlessly score around the basket. While he didn’t make threes consistently in this game, Flagg was able to make a deep three-pointer to show that he can knock down shots from beyond the arc.

On the downside, he was quite turnover prone on offense. For the positives, Flagg would throw accurate passes, as he can consistently find teammates on the move and off the dribble to set up scoring chances for them. However, he would tend to over-dribble, as Duke seemed to be over-reliant on looking to him to generate offense. While Flagg excelled as a scorer and shot creator in this game, he still struggled to handle ball pressure on occasion, and he ended up committing some costly ball-handling turnovers late in the game. He would tend to get stripped when driving to the hoop at times, and he also ended up mishandling the ball in ways that would lead him to wind up out of bounds.

Also, Flagg did a great job of rebounding the basketball. He also defended well in this game. Flagg would often rotate to make impressive shot blocks to help his team protect the paint, and he is a rangy defender that has great leaping ability and timing, as he would keep it in bounds to allow his teammates to get the defensive rebound. He also was able to poke a ball away in the post to force a turnover, and he would cut off penetration and apply considerable pressure to force ball-handling turnovers. In addition, he would actively contest shots both out on the perimeter and in the paint to force plenty of misses. On the downside, he would tend to close out too hard, which would lead him to commit aggressive touch fouls on shooters, or to wind up out of position that would lead his team to allow scores.

In general, Cooper Flagg played very well, despite committing a couple of key turnovers late in this game. He is a shot maker that also played sound defense in this game, and he was able to make some tough shots on offense. He’ll need to be more consistent with his outside shot, as well as a facilitator that can get him easier shots on offense, but Flagg was quietly impressive in his team’s loss to Kentucky, as he looks to be solid candidate to be the top pick of the 2025 draft.

Kentucky’s 6-11 senior center, Andrew Carr scored 17 points on 5 of 8 shooting, made 2 threes, and had 5 rebounds and 3 assists in his team’s 77-72 win over Duke in the Champions Classic.
(Photo: Jordan Prather/Imagn Images, via On3.com)

Andrew Carr put forth an excellent performance to lead his team to get a stunning upset win over Duke in the Champions Classic. Carr shot the ball very well, especially early on, and he showed off strong scoring skills to help his team on offense.

Carr did a great job of making open, spot-up threes off the catch, and he also made one off of a pick-and-pop play early on. He also has a crafty pump fake that would enable him to score and get fouled on strong drives to the hoop to give his team a big boost. He also showed a knack for drawing free throws on crafty cuts to the hoop. Plus, he also was able to score on a fadeaway jump hook out of the post.

He also showcased satisfactory playmaking skills. Carr was able to throw a timely pass to a teammate on a back-cut to get an assist, and he did a good job of throwing timely passes to find the open man. He generally passed and handled the ball well in this game. However, he would sometimes get stripped when posting up, which led to a turnover.

Also, Carr was able to get his fair share of rebounds, as he was able to get boards on both ends of the floor. In summary, Carr turned in a very impressive performance to lead his team to get the upset win, and he is a skilled, mobile big man that could end up being a solid role player that projects well into a stretch big role in the NBA.

Duke’s 7-2 South Sudanese freshman center, Khaman Maluach had a solid showing in his team’s tough loss to Kentucky. He played well for most of the game, and he was able to make some impressively athletic plays on both ends of the floor. However, he struggled through leg cramps as the game wore on, and it seemed to limit his impact and mobility down the stretch.

Maluach is a strong finisher that did a gret job of scoring around the basket. He managed to score on a couple of quick put backs due to possessing very good size, finishing ability, and motor. He also would frequently score on rolls to the rim. Maluach was able to catch a lob pass to score on a high-flying alley-oop dunk. H also managed to score on a thunderous jam off of a roll to the rim another time.

Also, Maluach rebounded the ball well, as he was able to haul in plenty of boards on both ends of the floor when he was on the court. He also played adequate defense in this game. He has great size, as well as very good athleticism and instincts that would allow him to frequently block shots to help his team protect the paint. He also would use his size, length, and strength to hold position and contest shots when defending in the post to force misses. However, sometimes he would play too aggressively when he would defend in the paint, as he would tend to bite on pump fakes, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores. Another time, he didn’t pressure the passer, which led his team to easily allow a pass to a cutter to give up a score.

Overall, Khaman Maluach had a solid showing in his team’s loss to Kentucky. He generally played well as an interior player, and he didn’t really look to do much more than that in this game. Right now, he projects to go in the back half of the lottery or in the mid first round range. Currently, he has clear strengths, but he also doesn’t take many risks on offense, as he hasn’t looked to take many jumpers or create shots for himself or others often, which could limit his upside at the next level. Still, Maluach is a very tall, athletic center that will likely project to be a solid rim protector in the NBA.

Kentucky’s 6-4 guard, Otega Oweh had a solid showing to help lead his team to a close win over Duke. He is an athletic, strong combo guard that plays bigger than his listed size, and he excelled as a shooter, scorer, and defender in this game.

Oweh did a good job of knocking down open, spot-up threes, and he has shown a much improved jump shot from the outside. He also was able to run off a ball screen to make a quick three off the catch. He also generally excelled at scoring on hustle plays. He would drive hard to the hoop in transition to get free throws, and he also was able to score on a backcut, as well as on a tip-in. On the downside, sometimes he would miss wildly on aggressive drives to the hoop, especially when he wouldn’t get foul calls.

Oweh displayed fairly average playmaking skills. For the positives, he would sometimes find the open man, and he was able to notch several assists. However, he also would sometimes over-dribble and get balls knocked away from him, which would lead to ball-handling turnovers. He also threw a hasty pass once that got intercepted.

Also, Oweh did a very good job of rebounding the basketball, and he was able to get multiple boards on both ends of the floor. He also defended well in this game. Oweh was able to rotate to block a shot off of a drive out of bounds. He also rotated to swipe a ball away from an opposing ball handler late in the game to get a key steal for his team. He also showed that he can stay in front of his man and contest shots off the dribble to force misses. On the downside, he would sometimes gamble too much defensively, which would occasionally lead him to be out of position and cause him to commit fouls and allow scores.

Overall, Otega Oweh played well in his team’s win over Duke. He is a strong, aggressive scoring combo guard that excelled as a shot maker and defender in this game. He may need to show teams that he can reliably run the point at the next level, as he’s a bit undersized to play out on the wing, but his strong defensive skills could allow him to carve out a niche role as potentially an upper-tier defensive specialist for the NBA.

Kentucky’s 6-10 sophomore big man, Brandon Garrison also played well in his team’s stunning win over Duke. Garrison was able to make some impressive hustle plays on both ends of the floor, and he also showed some range by making an open long two off the catch to show his shooting prowess. Garrison would often run the floor to score on energy plays around the basket. He also showed a satisfactory ability of passing and handling the basketball. He also was able to leap up to get his fair share of defensive boards in this game.

Defensively, he looked to be perhaps above average. Garrison was active in contesting threes to get stops, and he was able to fight through a screen and block a corner three to a teammate, which was a very impressive defensive play. However, he tended to close out too hard on shooters, which would lead him to commit aggressive reach-in and touch fouls. Another time, he was late to defend a roll man, as his team gave up a dunk once.

Overall, Garrison quietly had a solid showing in his team’s win over Duke. He is an athletic big man that was able to provide a boost for his team off the bench, and he could project to be a solid rotational big man in the NBA.

Kon Knueppel is a highly touted prospect that is a sharpshooting swingman for Duke. He was able to make some solid plays on both ends of the floor this game, but he didn’t shoot the ball well overall, and he also struggled at times on the defensive end.

Knueppel seemed to be at his most comfortable when he would knock down shots off the dribble from the mid-range. He showed good shooting touch and footwork to make a smooth pull-up jumper once, and he also faked one way and turned to score on a fadeaway jumper another time. He also was able to score on patient, strong drives to the hoop at times, as he tended to play better when he would go to his left.

However, Knueppel tended to struggle to score in traffic, and he had a couple of his shots blocked. While he ran off of a ball screen to make an open three-pointer, he struggled to make threes consistently, as he missed on a lot of spot-up threes after running off of ball screens to get the basketball.

Also, he displayed adequate playmaking skills in this game. While he doesn’t have elite foot speed, and showed that he can throw passes off the dribble and find teammates on the move to notch assists due to possessing solid court vision. However, Knueppel tended to lose his footing on a handful of plays, more so than he should, and his tendency to over-dribble and slip on the floor would lead to bad offensive possessions, as well as a hasty pass that got intercepted once.

He also was able to get his fair share of rebounds, as he was able to get boards on both ends of the floor. Knueppel also dove for a loose ball on the ground on a defensive rebounding attempt due to possessing a solid motor. Defensively, he looked to be fairly average. Knueppel competes hard, and he would look to stay in front of his man to cut off penetration to make it difficult for his opponents to handle the basketball. He also was able to contest a corner three to force a miss, and he also was able to get his hands on a pass to get a steal. However, he doesn’t have very good foot speed, which made it tough for him to guard upper-tier opponents out on the perimeter. He would struggle to move his feet well, as he would get beat off the dribble and on cuts to allow scores.

Overall, Kon Knueppel had his ups and downs in his team’s loss to Kentucky. He has shown potential to develop into a Luke Kennard-type of player at the NBA level, but he lacks the elite foot speed to be an elite shot creator or defender at that level. Still, if he can focus on playing smart basketball and making shots, he could thrive as a very skilled and crafty complementary role player in the NBA.

Tyrese Proctor quietly had a solid game in his team’s loss to Kentucky. He shot the ball well, and he was able to play well on both ends of the floor in this game. Proctor showed a knack for making smooth, dribble three-pointers from beyond the arc. He used a craft pump fake and side step maneuver to make a pull-up three once, and he also was able to make a crafty, step-back three. He also was able to pull up to make a mid-range jumper another time. He also showed that he can maneuver ways to draw fouls to get to the free throw line. He was a bit inconsistent with his pull-up game from the mid-range, but Proctor shot the ball well overall.

He also showed off solid playmaking skills. Proctor did a good job of passing and handling the basketball, and he was able to throw a lob pass to a roll man to notch an assist. Also, he was able to chip in to get a few defensive boards. Proctor also defended well. He was able to successfully draw a charge when defending a baseline drive. He also deflected a pass out of bounds another time.

Overall, Proctor is a promising, playmaking point guard that continues to get better with each passing season. After having an up-and-down freshman season, his outside shot has continued to get better, and he is playing with more poise and confidence in college basketball. While he doesn’t have elite physical tools, he has shown the poise and decision-making skills to be a viable candidate in the late first to the second round range for the 2025 draft.

Lamont Butler quietly had a strong showing to help lead his team to a hard-fought win over Duke. Butler is an energetic combo guard that excelled at making plays on both ends of the floor. He was able to make a pull-up three to showcase some of his shooting skills, and he did a satisfactory job of scoring and drawing free throws on strong drives to the hoop. Plus, he also was able to score on a cut to the hoop another time.

He also showcased solid playmaking skills. He generally passed and handled the ball well, and he was able to make an accurate dump off pass in transition to notch an assist. He also did a fairly solid job of rebounding the basketball, as he was able to get a handful of defensive boards for a player his size. He also played decent defense in this game. Butler was able to poke a ball off of an opponent to get a key steal. Sometimes though, he would play too aggressively, which would lead him to foul jump shooters.

Overall, Lamont Butler played well in his team’s win over Duke. He is a team player that makes winning basketball plays, and his ability to make plays in all sorts of ways could enable him to be a serviceable role player in the NBA.

Kentucky’s 6-11 senior center from England, Amari Williams had his ups and downs in his team’s close win over Duke. He played fairly well early on, but his struggles to score out of the post seemed to limit his effectiveness on the offensive end.

Williams was able to pull up to knock down an open mid-range jumper. He also was able to score on a couple of jump hooks, due to possessing solid strength and decent scoring touch, but he generally struggled to find his rhythm, especially when matched up against the taller and more athletic Maluach, and Williams ended up missing a lot of shots from the block.

Williams displayed satisfactory playmaking skills. He is a mobile, energetic big man that can pass and handle the basketball, and he was able to throw a bounce pass to a cutter to notch an assist. Another time though, he threw an inaccurate pass that ended up going out of bounds. Also, he did a great job of rebounding the basketball. Williams also defended well in this game. He would actively stay in front of his man and contest shots to force misses and turnovers, and he also poked a ball away to get a steal once.

Overall, Williams had his ups and downs, but he is a strong, mobile big man that showed off a promising set of skills on both ends of the floor. He’ll need to add a reliable jump shot to his arsenal, but if he continues to work hard and hone his game, he could end up being a serviceable role player in the NBA.

Much has been expected from Kentucky’s 6-6 senior swingman, Jaxson Robinson this season. He hasn’t quite been the shooter or scorer that he’s been billed as or advertised, but he’s still finding ways to make an impact on the game. He didn’t take many shots on offense, and he struggled to score the basketball, but Robinson thrived as a shot blocker and energetic defender when he was on the floor.

Robinson was able to leverage the threat of his outside shot to draw three free throws on a deep three, and he also ran off of a ball screen to make an open three. On the downside, he didn’t look to score often, and he missed on an aggressive drive to the hoop wildly.

He also isn’t really an elite shot creator, and he struggled to create separation from defenders when handling the basketball. Robinson was called for a push off on a baseline drive that led him to commit an offensive foul and a turnover. He also dribbled too much another time and couldn’t get past his man, which led him to commit a shot clock violation.

Though he didn’t grab many rebounds, he was able to get a defensive board once. Robinson defended very well against Duke. He is a rangy defender that would use his athleticism, timing, and instincts to rotate and block shots off the dribble, as he was able to leap up to make an impressive block at the end of the half. He also would get his hands on passes to get steals and deflections. Every once in a while, he would struggle to defend opponents off the dribble, which would lead him to allow scores, but still, Robinson really excelled as a help defender in this game.

Overall, Jaxson Robinson didn’t have his best game, but he defended very well and made a solid impact on the defensive end against Duke. He is an athletic swingman that projects well into a 3 and D role at the NBA level, and he could end up being a second round pick in the 2025 draft.

Caleb Foster had his ups and downs in his team’s loss to Kentucky. Though he passed and defended well, especially early on, he struggled with his jump shot, and he missed all of his threes that he took in this game. Foster showed a satisfactory ability to score off the dribble. He was able to score on a left-handed drive. He also used a spin move and a pump fake to score on a fadeaway mid-range jumper. On the downside, he would sometimes take tough, contested shots that would lead to misses. He also missed all of the threes he took from beyond the arc.

Foster also showed off solid playmaking skills. He generally passed the ball well, and he is an unselfish player that was able to rack up assists early on. He also was able to throw a lob pass to find a cutter to notch an early assist. However, he was called for a charging foul on a drive once, and he also threw a hasty pass that got intercepted another time.

Also, he was able to get his fair share of boards, as he was able to get boards on both ends of the floor. Foster also defended well. He would get his hands on passes to get steals, and he also rotated to poke a ball away in the post to get another steal. Plus, he would tend to stay in front of his man and contest shots to force misses. Overall, Foster had his ups and downs, and while he didn’t shoot well from the outside, he excelled as a facilitator and defender, and he could end up being an intriguing second round prospect for the 2025 draft.

Sion James was able to make some plays for Duke before getting hurt in the second half of this game. He excelled as a scorer on fast breaks, as his strong drives in transition allowed him to score on a strong, two-handed dunk, as well as on a layup. He struggled to score off the dribble from the half court, but James is a strong, mobile guard that can score in the open court.

Also, James helped out on the boards, and was able to get a pair of defensive rebounds in limited minutes. He also defended fairly well in this game. James was able to contest a mid-range shot to force a miss. However, there was one play where a teammate didn’t call out a screen, and he got blasted by a screener on the defensive end, which led his team to give up an open three-point basket. That play caused James to get injured and miss the rest of the game, but his teammate seemed to be more at fault for not calling out the screen to alert James of the screener’s presence ahead of time.

Overall, James is an intriguing prospect, but didn’t seem to get enough playing time to really showcase his skills, as he ended up getting hurt in the second half and missed the rest of the game, which was the most pivotal part of this game. Still, James is an unselfish player that could project into a defensive specialist role at the NBA level, and he could be an interesting second round prospect to follow this season.

Kentucky’s 6-6 senior swingman, Koby Brea quietly played well in his team’s win over Duke. He showed a knack for making spot-up threes off the catch to showcase his shooting prowess, and he also ran off of a ball screen to make one from downtown. He also ran the floor to score on offense. Though he didn’t take many shots in this game, he was efficient in making them overall.

Brea also passed the ball well, and he also was able to throw a quick interior pass to notch an assist. Plus, he also rebounded the ball well. Defensively, he looked to be about average. He was able to poke a ball away to get a steal. However, he struggled to defend taller, stronger players, as he would get bullied by them when defending opponents off the dribble and in the post, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores. Overall, Brea shot the ball well, and he excelled as an offensive player in this game. He’ll need to add more muscle to his frame and continue to improve his defense, but his strong ability to knock down jump shots could enable him to be a second round pick in the 2025 draft, as he could excel as a floor spacer in the NBA.

All in all, those are my thoughts on how Flagg, Carr, Maluach, and other various prospects fared in this game. Flagg had a very solid game overall, despite some costly turnovers, as his strong shotmaking, rebounding, and defense kept his team very much in the ball game. Still, Kentucky had sterling shotmaking and defense to hold off Duke to get a tough win in the end. It was a fun game to watch, and there will be many more games to watch this season. Right now, Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey both look to be strong candidates to be the top pick for the 2025 draft, though it’s still early in the season and a lot can happen . Also, Andrew Carr is a legitimate draft prospect, and he should be on every NBA team’s draft boards. That’s all for now, and thanks for reading.