After months of speculation, Cooper Flagg’s college decision is finally here.
The 16-year-old Maine native considered the No. 1 college basketball prospect in the nation, has announced via Instagram that he will attend Duke University next fall.
His announcement comes one week after his official visit to Duke’s campus in Durham, North Carolina, in which he sat in on team practices and witnessed Cameron Indoor Stadium’s fabled “Countdown to Craziness.”
Rumors of Flagg’s interest in Duke first materialized his freshman year, when he called it his “dream school.”
The Newport native also took an unofficial visit to Duke in early August, creating a stir on Instagram by posting photos in Blue Devils threads. It was his first unofficial visit to any NCAA D-I program.
Flagg’s final decision ultimately came down to UConn and Duke, the only two programs he accepted invitations to officially visit from. Those closest to Flagg say his resonance with the Duke coaching staff and the team’s style of play had the biggest influence on his decision.
“At the end of the day, wherever he decides is the best fit for him,” Maine United assistant coach and Flagg’s trainer Matt MacKenzie said last week. “A program that really intends to build their offensive schemes centered around his abilities as a playmaker.”
The 6-foot-9 teenager received his first D-I offer in eighth grade, with distinguished programs such as UConn, Kansas, UCLA and Villanova all having offered Flagg full athletic scholarships in the last couple of years.
Flagg will be the first born-and-raised Mainer to ever suit up for an NCAA championship basketball program.
Duke men’s basketball has won five NCAA championships in its history, and appeared in 17 Final Fours. Duke most recently won March Madness in 2015.
In Durham, Flagg will join fellow class of 2024 five-star prospects forward Isaiah Evans (ranked No. 8 in class) and forward Kon Knueppel (No. 22) who have also verbally committed to Duke.
Flagg will be coached by second-year head coach Jon Scheyer, who took over for the retired Mike Krzyzewski in 2022.
“It’s all about the basketball for him,” Maine Basketball Hall of Famer and Maine United AAU head coach Andy Bedard said. “It came down to who can best prepare him to impact his team on day one after Draft Day.”
Flagg will become officially committed when he signs his national letter of intent, likely during the early signing period between Nov. 8-15.
“He’ll be relieved to be able to focus on his senior year at Montverde,” Bedard said. “Everything he does is under a microscope.”
Having reclassified to the class of 2024 in August, this season will be Cooper’s last in high school. He is expected to play one year of college basketball at Duke before declaring for the NBA draft as a top lottery pick.
Cooper and his twin brother, Ace, will look to lead Montverde Academy (Florida) to the program’s seventh national title this year. The brothers won a Maine Class A state championship with Nokomis in 2021-22, before transferring to Montverde prior to their sophomore years.
On Jan. 5 and 6, Montverde is scheduled to play two sell-out games in Portland, at the Cross Insurance Arena and the Portland Expo Center, respectively.