Duke has thrown freshman Cooper Flagg ‘in the fire.’ Just like he wanted.

LAS VEGAS — For once, Cooper Flagg looked 17 years old. Duke’s freshman forward, whose polished game has made him the odds-on favorite to be the first pick in June’s NBA draft, found himself cornered by two Kansas defenders. Hunter Dickinson, a bearded 24-year-old center, ripped at the ball with adult strength as the baby-faced Flagg flailed.

When Dickinson began his own college career, Donald Trump was still in his first term as president and Flagg was a middle-schooler in Maine. These days, Flagg, like Dickinson, is a preseason all-American hoping to lead his blue blood program on a deep run through the NCAA tournament this spring..