SPRINGFIELD — When Montverde Academy ahead Cooper Flagg was requested if he knew any NBA gamers from his native Maine, he mentioned he wasn’t certain.
“I do not suppose there are any big-time names, however there may be one or two floating round,” Flagg mentioned.
Maine has by no means produced an NBA All-Star. By far, the state’s most prolific skilled participant is Duncan Robinson of the Miami Warmth, who was born in Maine, however not raised there.
Flagg is a sophomore at Montverde Academy in Florida. Nonetheless, with how his recreation has grown over the previous 12 months, he seems ahead to representing Maine on the nationwide degree in school and past.
“Yeah, positively,” Flagg mentioned when requested if he was trying ahead to the potential of representing his house state within the NBA. “Hopefully I can carry that sort of factor to Maine, I am certain.”
The previous two years have been a whirlwind for the sophomore.
Final 12 months, he and his brother, Ace Males, had been freshmen on the Nokomis Regional Excessive College boys basketball group in Newport.
The duo led the varsity’s boys basketball program to its first-ever Class A state title of their lone season on the group. Cooper Flagg had 22 factors and 16 rebounds within the championship recreation. He was named the Maine Gatorade Participant of the Yr on the finish of the season.
After his freshman 12 months, the brothers transferred to Montverde Academy to play for coach Kevin Boyle.
Boyle constructed a embellished resume throughout his tenure at Montverde and coached NBA All-Stars equivalent to Ben Simmons, RJ Barrett and Kyrie Irving.
Going from small-town Maine basketball to becoming a member of the nation’s most proficient highschool basketball group is a troublesome transition, however Cooper Flagg made it seamless.
The sophomore scored a game-high 21 factors, had 5 rebounds, 5 steals and three assists in an 85-63 win over La Lumiere (IN) on the Hoophall Traditional on Saturday in Springfield.
Montverde Academy MVP Cooper Flagg (SAM BEATTY/MASSLIVE)
“He is grown lots,” Boyle mentioned of Cooper Flagg. “He is beginning to perceive when to go to the nook. He was a little bit uncooked this early. At his age and enjoying AAU, he might get it and go and nobody would cease him. Now there are greater athletes towards him. He is a sophomore, however he is making nice strides. He is a good employee.”
Most excessive schoolers do not stand as tall as Flagg at 6-foot-8, however many gamers who develop that tall early haven’t got good hand-eye coordination.
Flagg is an exception.
The sophomore performed a fourth-quarter scoring function for Montverde and began the offense on the prime of the group’s formation. On the defensive finish, each time the group threw a full-court press, he took La Lumiere guards full-court and ran with them.
“He is an incredible athlete,” Boyle mentioned. “You possibly can work on athleticism and a few folks get a little bit bit higher, however quite a lot of it’s God-given. … So far as (the group), he was expert, however he was an enormous child who might deal with extra and get to the rim. Now he is extra of a real perimeter participant. … He will likely be an incredible multi-position participant on the NBA degree. It can shield many various folks.”
Flagg impacted the sport at each degree on Saturday.
The sophomore scored a game-high 10 factors late within the first quarter and adopted that up with a two-handed lob to go off an preliminary display screen within the second quarter.
His motion with out the ball was virtually as spectacular as his motion with it. Flagg stays busy with out the ball, chopping into the paint and making fast, sensible passes when defenders collapse on him.
Flagg mentioned after Saturday’s recreation that he will get extra satisfaction from watching his teammates rating than from scoring himself, which is sweet more often than not, but in addition results in errors.
“Typically I get too caught up in it and belief my teammates a little bit an excessive amount of,” Flagg mentioned. “My coaches additionally informed me to belief myself.”
Flagg has good cause to belief his teammates.
Together with Flagg, Montverde Academy has 9 gamers ESPN’s High 100 Recruits in each class.
Montverde Academy’s Cooper Flagg hits a 3-pointer (SAM BEATTY/MASSLIVE)
4 gamers are at the moment attending faculties. of Monteverde Kwame Evans Loyal to Oregon Sean Stewart duke, Chris Johnson Kansas and Marvel Allen Georgetown.
Flagg practices virtually each day towards the group’s loaded roster.
“Day-after-day you get higher,” Cooper Flagg mentioned. “Going up towards it each day pushes you. You study one thing new each day.”
Flagg has but to make a university determination. Nevertheless, the sophomore holds scholarships from Duke, Georgia, UCLA, West Virginia, Michigan, Maine, Iowa, Bryant and Albany.
In line with ESPNFlagg is the No. 2 recruit within the Class of 2025.
The sophomore says his dream college is Duke and has reached out to Blue Devils coach John Scheyer, however he seems ahead to attending to know extra teaching staffs and applications sooner or later earlier than making a call.
“There are nonetheless quite a lot of different choices I need to have a look at,” Flagg mentioned. “There are quite a lot of choices.”
