DURHAM, N.C. — Maine basketball phenom Cooper Flagg's collegiate debut this fall will be a homecoming of sorts, as his Duke Blue Devils will take on the University of Maine Black Bears.
Flagg, 17, of Newport, is one of the top amateur basketball players and projected to be the No. 1 selection in the 2025 NBA Draft. Last month, he was named the best high school player in the country.
Flagg's Blue Devils will play the University of Maine Nov. 4 in North Carolina. UMaine will receive $90,000 for playing in the game. Duke approached UMaine officials about playing due to Flagg's connection to Maine, UMaine coach Chris Markwood said in a news conference Wednesday.
“For us to be down there playing Cooper in his first game, I think is a special deal," Markwood said. "Everybody up here in the state’s pulling for him and looking forward to what he’s doing on the next stage at Duke, hopefully just not on November 4."
In Maine, Flagg led Nokomis Regional High to a state championship when he was a freshman and was named the 2022 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year. The 6-foot, 9-inch forward then attended Florida's Montverde Academy, known for producing top basketball prospects. Flagg is ESPN's No. 1 high school basketball prospect.