Cooper Flagg returned home to Maine on Friday night and put on a show in front of a sold-out crowd. Is it possible that his warm reception could lead him to flip his commitment? Probably (definitely) not.
Did local fans go all-out to show him what it would be like to play college basketball for his hometown team? Absolutely.
It’s pretty special to see (Cooper) come back to his home state. We wanted to be here for it.
— Waterboro, ME resident T.J. Tyler, via Centralmaine.com
Flagg, a native of Newport, ME, grew up about 30 minutes from the University of Maine. He was a fan of the Black Bears growing up and gave them a legitimate opportunity during the recruitment process.
The No. 1-ranked recruit in the Class of 2024 ultimately committed to Duke over UConn.
Flagg played for Nokomis Regional High School as a freshman. He transferred to play for Monteverde Academy, a high school basketball powerhouse in Florida, for his final three seasons.
His home state still loves him! That was abundantly clear when Monteverde played its first of two games at ‘the Maine Event’ on Friday. Tickets for the entire weekend showcase sold out in 24 hours.
Cross Insurance Arena in Portland was rocking!
Cooper Flagg popped off! The 6-foot-9, 200-pound five-star forward recorded 23 points, 10 rebounds, nine blocks, five assists and two steals in a dominant 92-51 win over Gonzaga College High School of Washington, D.C.
It was a college-like atmosphere for the game.
Some of the crowd wore Duke jerseys, some wore local high school garb. Others donned custom Flagg-specific shirts. It was a spectacle that drew fans from as far as 100 miles away or more.
According to Mike Mandell of CentralMaine.com, Frank and Liam Godley traveled about two hours for the game. The former said that he and his son would “go all the way to Duke if they could get in!”
All of this goes to say that Flagg is a superstar in the Pine Tree State. Even though it is not going to happen, it is fun to imagine a scenario in which the crowd at this weekend’s Maine Event leads the nation’s top-ranked recruit to decommit from Duke and flip to the University of Maine.
That would be pretty special!