NEWPORT, Maine — Editor's note: The attached video was originally posted on Jan. 9, 2024.
Maine native Cooper Flagg was named a finalist for one of the most prestigious awards for an amateur basketball player on Thursday.
Flagg, 17, of Newport, is one of three contenders for the Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year honor. Previous winners include Jayson Tatum, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant.
The 6-foot, 9-inch Flagg, who will attend Duke University in the fall and is the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, attended Nokomis Regional High in Maine and led the basketball team to a state championship when he was a freshman. He has since transferred to Florida's Montverde Academy, known for producing top basketball prospects. This season, he led Montverde to a 30-0 record and the No. 1 ranking in the country. He averaged 16.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.7 blocks and 1.6 steals a game.
Flagg was named the 2022 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year and earlier this month was named the best high school basketball player in the country in the Naismith Awards.
Airious Bailey of Georgia and VJ Edgecombe of New York are the other two finalists for the Gatorade award; the winner is typically announced toward the end of March.
Gatorade national player of the year winners are awarded a trophy and a banner for their schools. They are also given the ability to award a $1,000 grant to a sports-related community organization and apply for an additional $10,000 grant for the organization.