Is Cooper Flagg the best overall prospect in high school basketball?

The u17 World Cup ended on Sunday with the USA u17 men’s basketball team winning a gold medal. After the game ended, you could see Cooper Flagg walking to center court and lifting his arms to the crowd in celebration. It is an iconic-type moment that will be remembered forever.

Flagg is a 6-foot-8 forward who played 19.6 minutes per game for the seven and zero gold medal-winning team. He was on the floor in the closing minutes of the championship game and his 19.6 minutes per game were the fifth most on the team.

Still only 15 years old, Flagg averaged 9.3 points per game and shot 42.9-percent from three for the seven games. Even being a year and a half younger than the average player age, he also led the team in rebounds (10.0), steals (2.4), and blocks (2.9) per game.

Flagg’s bloodlines

Cooper Flagg’s mother, Kelly (Bowman) Flagg, played basketball at the University of Maine from 1995-1999. Maine won four consecutive American East titles during Bowman’s time in the program making the NCAA tournament all four years.

Flagg’s mom was the team captain of the 1998-99 season. That team beat Stanford in the first round of the NCAA tournament, giving the program their first and only NCAA tournament win.

So, is Cooper Flagg the best prospect in high school basketball?

A quick snapshot through the current lens, yes. This type of international success is what sparked the idea of this question. The trust Flagg’s coaches had in him is what had him on the floor during crunch time.

A quick look across the high school basketball landscape, rising seniors are in the class of 2023, juniors are class of 2024, sophomores are class of 2025, and rising freshmen are in the class of 2026.

Competing with Flagg for the top spot in 2025 is 6-foot-7 Cameron Boozer. Dallas (TX) Lake Highlands High’s Tre Johnson holds the No. 1 spot in the 2024 class. Columbia (SC) Ridge View High’s GG Jackson – for now – is On3’s No. 1 ranked player in the 2023 class.

There are many pieces to Flagg’s game, maturity being the first piece that pops off. Flagg has a high basketball IQ, he is not afraid to stick his nose in and do the dirty work, and his skill foundation is high.

Flagg recently finished his freshman year at Newport (ME) Nokomis Regional High. He was the first freshman ever awarded Maine high school boys basketball Gatorade Player of the Year. This summer, the rising sophomore announced he would transfer to reigning Geico National Champion Montverde (FL) Academy.

Standing at a lengthy 6-foot-8, the forward can handle, shoot, and pass at the highest level. Flagg has positional versatility on both ends of the floor, which is paramount in today’s game.