Duke 5-star SF signee Cooper Flagg named Naismith High School Player of the Year
Newport (Maine) Montverde Academy small forward and Duke signee Cooper Flagg continues to rack up the hardware.
On Friday, Flagg was named the Naismith National High School Boy’s Basketball Player of the Year, beating out Rutgers signee Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper, as well as 2025 No. 1 and 2 recruits AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer.
Flagg is averaging 16.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game for a Montverde Academy team that is 30-0 and will finish the 2023-24 season at the High School Nationals from April 4-6 in Brownsburg, Indiana.
“I would like to thank Jersey Mike’s and the Naismith selection committee for recognizing me as the Naismith High School Player of the Year,” said Flagg. “It is a great honor that wouldn’t have been possible without my parents, coaches, and teammates, who motivate me every day to get better.”
The consensus No. 1 prospect in the 2025 class, Flagg reclassified this fall into 2024 and immediately took over the mantle as the top recruit in that class, too. He committed to Duke in November and signed with the Blue Devils as part of their top-rated recruiting class.
In the latest ESPN mock drafts for the 2025 NBA Draft, Flagg is projected as the No. 1 overall pick.
Cooper Flagg Bio
Flagg was a well-known name before he arrived on the high school scene, but he became the first-ever freshman to be selected as Maine’s Gatorade Player of the Year. He averaged 20.5 points, 10 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 3.7 steals and 3.7 blocks for Nokomis Regional. He transferred to basketball powerhouse Montverde Academy in Florida after his freshman season. Flagg was named the MVP of the 2023 Hoophall Classic after scoring 21 points with five steals, five rebounds and three assists in Montverde’s 85-63 victory over La Lumiere Academy. Flagg would go on to be 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, which firmly established him as the consensus No. 1 prospect in the 2024 recruiting class. Flagg is also a standout on the international stage.
In 2022, Flagg was named USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year after his performance at the U17 World Cup. He was the youngest player to ever win the award. “I’m not sure there are any one-to-one comps for him. I think the way he protects the rim from the weak side changes any comps I could throw out there,” NBA draft expert Nathan Grubel said. “His block numbers are outrageous. I’d say he could become a very strong mix of Gordon Hayward and Andrei Kirilenko.” Flagg’s mother, Kelly, played basketball at Maine. He has a twin brother, Ace, who also plays basketball.