Cooper Flagg

Cooper Flagg (born December 21, 2006) is an American basketball player who attends Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida. Committed to Duke, he is a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2024 class.

Early life and high school career

Flagg was born in Newport, Maine, and initially attended Nokomis Regional High School. He became the first freshman to be named the Maine Gatorade Player of the Year after averaging 20.5 points, 10 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 3.7 steals, and 3.7 blocks per game. Nokomis won the Class A state championship with Flagg scoring 22 points and grabbing 16 rebounds in a 43–27 win against Falmouth High School in the state final.

Flagg transferred to Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida, at the end of his freshman year of high school. Prior to the beginning of his first year at the school, he played in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) for the Florida Eagles, an Amateur Athletic Union team affiliated with Montverde. Flagg was named the MVP of the 2023 Hoophall Classic after scoring 21 points with 5 steals, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists in Montverde's 85–63 victory over La Lumiere Academy. He also was named a semifinalist for the Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award. Flagg averaged 9.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and three assists per game in his first season at Montverde. After the season, he played for Maine United in the EYBL and averaged 25.4 points, 13 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 6.9 blocks in seven games at the Peach Jam tournament. Flagg was selected to play in the 2024 McDonald's All-American Boys Game.

Recruiting

Flagg was ranked the third-best prospect in the 2025 recruiting class following the conclusion of his freshman season. He re-ranked as the class's second-best recruit in August 2022 following his performance in the 2022 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup. Flagg received his first NCAA Division I scholarship offer from Bryant while in the eighth grade. He reclassified to the class of 2024 during the summer after his sophomore year. Flagg is currently the highest rated recruit in the United States. On October 30, 2023, Flagg verbally committed to play for Duke after also considering an offer from UConn. He had initially planned to announce his commitment on October 27, but pushed it back in the aftermath of the 2023 Lewiston shootings in his home state of Maine. Flagg signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Blue Devils on November 8, 2023, during the early signing period.

National team career

Flagg played for the United States under-17 basketball team at the 2022 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup. He was named to the All-Tournament Team after averaging 9.3 points, 10 rebounds, 2.9 blocked shots, and 2.4 steals per game as the United States won the gold medal. Flagg scored 10 points with 17 rebounds, eight steals, and four blocked shots in a 79–67 win over Spain in the final. He was named the 2022 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year for his performance in the Under-17 World Cup and is the youngest player to win the award.

Personal life

Flagg's mother, Kelly, played college basketball at Maine where she was a team captain as a senior. His father, Ralph, played NJCAA basketball at Eastern Maine Community College. Flagg has a twin brother, Ace, who was a teammate at Nokomis and transferred to Montverde. Flagg's older brother Hunter was also a Nokomis basketball player and was a senior when the former was a freshman.