The Associated Press national player of the week in men’s college basketball for Week 5 of the season is Cooper Flagg of Duke University.
The 6-foot-9 forward has lived up to the hype as the nation’s top incoming freshman. Flagg scored 16 of his 22 points in the second half, with 11 rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocked shots, in No. 4 Duke’s 84-78 win over No. 2 Auburn. He followed that up with 20 points, 12 rebounds and two steals in a 79-65 win over Louisville. Flagg is averaging 17 points and 9.1 rebounds, with 15 steals and 13 blocked shots in what’s likely his only year in college before heading to the NBA lottery.
Runner-up
Tamar Bates, Missouri. The 6-5 senior guard was instrumental in the Tigers’ 76-67 win over rival and then-No. 1 Kansas. Bates finished with 29 points on 9-for-15 shooting, knocking down two 3-pointers and all nine of his free throws. He leads Missouri with 14.1 points per game and is shooting 54% from the floor on the season.
Honorable mention
Ian Schieffelin, Clemson; Vladislav Goldin, Michigan; Pop Isaacs, Creighton.
Keep an eye on
Hassan Diarra, UConn. The Huskies had a big turnaround after losing all three of their games at the Maui Invitational and Diarra was a big reason for it. The 6-2 senior guard had 18 assists to three turnovers in UConn’s wins over Baylor and Texas. The Huskies will need more heady playmaking from Diarra on Saturday, when the two-time reigning national champions play No. 8 Gonzaga at Madison Square Garden.
