College Basketball Recruiting

WATCH: Montverde Academy sophomore Cooper Flagg posts double-double 52 points and 12 rebounds in Nike EYBL contest

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By
Antonio Kozlow
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Antonio Kozlow Sports Editor

Antonio is a life long sports enthusiast and professional journalist, who shares an obssesive urge to find and dig up the most interesting facts to guide gamblers towards more exciting, yet safe bets. In his own words, ''you can never really know enough about the things you love''.

All posts by Antonio Kozlow
Sports Editor

Updated25 Apr 2023

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College basketball recruiting is now open for business, as young stars are done with their high school careers and ready to take the next big step, out to prove themselves in competitions such as Nike EYBL and Adidas 3SSB.

One particular athlete seems to be ready to make the history books, as he already posted a smashing double-double in only his first game in the summer circuit. We are talking about Cooper Flagg, a remarkable Montverde Academy sophomore who was recently awarded with an SBLive All-American honorable mention.

The five-star rated foward hit 52 points and won 12 rebounds playing for Maine United in his first Nike EYBL match of the season.

The six-foot-eight player dropped 16 out of his 18 shot attempts throughout the game, showing off his versatile skill set, as he made strong finishes near the rim, made three-pointers look easy, and provided support in defense.

Flagg has reportedly received 10 offers from potential colleges already, as Kansas State made their interest known shortly after he posted his latest 50-point double-double exhibition this past weekend. Some of the best universities interested in him are Michigan, UCLA, Iowa, Duke, and more.

According to 247Sports composite rankings, the Maine native is now considered the No.2 sophomore in the United States. Flagg is only behind foward Cameron Boozer, the current top-ranked recruit in the sophomore class from Colombus, Florida.

Take a look at his impressive highlights from this past weekend’s game at the Nike EYBL:

The young star’s recent performance heats the debate over if he should be considered to No.1 player in the class of 2025.

Flagg gives all the credit to his teammates and coach, as he’s known most of them since the third grade

When asked about how he’s able to contribute so much both offensively and defensively, Flagg simply gave all the credit to his team and the basketball culture that his coach has applied.

“In Maine United that’s the way we’ve always been,” he said in a recent interview. “We’ve kind of always been like one group on court, so everybody knows what’s going on and having great communication. It makes it easy for me to have a lot of blocks and steals mostly because of the bond we have together.”

By the end of the season, Maine lost some important matches, but the young star just wants to keep his mind on improving. “I don’t think I’m the kind of guy who takes time off after something like that,” he assured. “The best thing for me is to keep my mind off it and keep working. We are not going to cancel anything because of a loss. Keep working, keep getting better cause it’s just another experience.”

Flagg’s biggest objective is to prove the world what Maine basketball is all about. “Just showcase what we can do on court all together,” the five-star recruit said. “I think that’s the best thing for me playing in Maine United, they’re my brothers, I grew up with them, been on the same team since we’re in the third grade.

“My biggest thing is giving them their exposure and getting everyone involved. Everytime I step on the court I just remember all the support that I have back in Maine, my family and friends and pretty much the entire state. It just means a lot.”