SAN ANTONIO — Perhaps more than anyone else, Carmelo Anthony understands the stakes this weekend for Cooper Flagg when Duke faces Houston in the Final Four on Saturday.

Twenty-two years ago, Anthony led Syracuse to the national championship, also as a freshman phenom. That achievement, along with his NBA and Olympic exploits, helped him secure a spot in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, which announced its 2025 class on Saturday.

“I think what we are seeing with [Flagg] has some similarities to the run that I had,” Anthony said Saturday during the Basketball Hall of Fame news conference at the Alamodome. “I would also like to point out that you’ve got to take your hat off to [Duke coach Jon Scheyer] too because the way that he was able to orchestrate that team and put the pieces around [Flagg] so he can be able to go out there and flourish and do what he does and become the national player of the year.”

Flagg, who was named the Associated Press Player of the Year this week, has been a dominant force for Duke this season. The 6-foot-9 forward is also the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft. This season, he is averaging 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.4 steals per game. He also has connected on 37% of his 3-point attempts.

“From a basketball standpoint, I think what we’ve seen from [Flagg], from a skill set standpoint, I don’t think we’ve seen that in a long time,” Anthony said. “He’s somebody who can control the game and command the game in the way that he can in all aspects, from rebounding to weakside, blocking shots to defense and closing out, and also, he can go get a bucket too, so that adds a little bit more to your game. I just love watching him as a player. If he could go get this championship, then he would sit at that small table at Duke University.”

Billy Donovan, the former Florida Gators and current Chicago Bulls head coach who was also inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame this week, said Flagg is representative of a new generation of athletes who have entered the NBA in recent years.

“One thing that stands out to me besides the skill level is the tenacity, the toughness and the competitiveness,” Donovan said on Saturday. “And [Dwight Howard] and [Anthony] know better than anybody, and I was in college for a long time: These guys have a different mindset competitively. And if you don’t have that mindset, it’s really, really hard to survive up there as a player. And he appears to have that kind of mindset that’s going to serve him well.”

Added Howard, who was also named to the Basketball Hall of Fame this week: “I think he’s an awesome young player. Coming into the NBA at a very young age could be very difficult. And I think that his time at Duke, the way that the staff has really helped him grow as a player and a person, he’s going to be great in the NBA, and I’m looking forward to seeing him thrive.”

Anthony said his experience is also different from Flagg’s because his Syracuse team did not face the same pressure the Duke freshman has endured this season. Plus, Flagg is playing against “grown men,” according to Anthony, which has also affected his journey during his freshman season.

When he does reach the NBA, however, Anthony said Flagg will go through the same adjustment period that he and other former college standouts endured when they made the same jump.

“I just hope that we give him some grace and give him time to develop for a couple of years,” Anthony said.