Cooper Flagg announced on social media that he’s reclassifying into the Class of 2024, skipping a year of high school basketball in order to become eligible to play in college in 2024. One college recruiting site – Rivals.com – has already rated Flagg as the No. 1 prospect in the 2024 class. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
NEWPORT — The top-ranked basketball player to ever come through the state of Maine just got one year closer to the big time.
Newport native and ex-Nokomis High star Cooper Flagg announced via his Instagram page Friday that he will be reclassifying from the Class of 2025 to 2024. The decision makes him eligible to play college basketball next fall, and potentially enter the NBA draft in 2025.
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Flagg, who was set to begin his junior year at Montverde Academy in Florida, was previously the top-ranked player on Rivals.com in the Class of 2025, and the No. 2 player according to ESPN and 247Sports. Rivals.com immediately moved him to the No. 1 spot in 2024 upon the announcement, while the other major services have yet to update their rankings.
As a freshman in 2021-22, Flagg averaged 20.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 3.7 steals and 3.7 blocks per game as he led Nokomis to its first-ever state title. He was named Maine Gatorade Player of the Year and later the 2022 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year after helping Team USA to the FIBA U17 World Cup title.
Flagg played alongside some of the country’s best high school players at Montverde last season before making possibly his biggest splash at last month’s Peach Jam in South Carolina. He averaged 25.4 points, 13 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 6.8 blocks per game, leading Maine United to a runner-up finish.
Flagg has yet to announce his plans for college basketball. The junior posted photos of himself donning Duke University gear after an unofficial visit last Friday, though his mother, Kelly, was quick to quash rumors that he had decided on the Blue Devils.
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