| I was sitting at home in L.A. last night trying to keep track of all the action going on in college hoops. There were way too many games to keep track of. On nights like this, I usually use my laptop to access Synergy or other online resources that allow me to re-watch games in full. Truth be told, that’s my preferred way to consume the games, because I can speed through the action in double time, bypassing commercials, free throws and epically long replay delays. (When I’m czar of this sport, there will be no replays of any kind, but that’s a topic for another day.) My multi-screened reverie was interrupted by Cooper Flagg. You may have heard of him. He’s a freshman forward at Duke and he’s really, really good. (These are the types of insights that have fueled my career.) Lo and behold, early in the second half of the Blue Devils’ home game against Pittsburgh, Flagg got the ball in the backcourt, pushed ahead in transition, took flight as he entered the lane and flushed the ball with authority, rudely putting Panthers 7-foot junior center Guillermo Diaz Graham on posterity’s poster. It was arguably the Dunk of the Year, perhaps the most memorable moment in Cameron Indoor Stadium since Zion Williamson blew out his shoe. That dunk was a vivid reminder of the value of star power. College basketball had been lacking that for a while, but the advent of NIL and the new pay-for-play paradigm has made the sport a profitable home for athletes with high wattage. And I’m all for it — let these kids get paid what they’re worth. Flagg’s moment was a vivid reminder of the possibilities in this new world, but mostly it was a harbinger of the excitement to come as the Most Wonderful Time of the Year approaches. Just don’t get in his way. Have a great day, and thanks as always for your support of Hoops HQ. –Seth | 