Of the six states that make up New England, Maine is the one least-associated with professional athletic success.
Connecticut, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont all have at least one native represented in one of the Halls of Fame for the ‘Big 4’ North American sports. But not Maine.
You’ll find an Olympic gold medalists in running and snowboarding, but no one from The Pine Tree State can claim to be enshrined in Toronto, Cooperstown, Canton, or Springfield.
But maybe, if we flash forward 25 years, that will change. And that’s all thanks to Cooper Flagg.
The consensus No. 1 high school prospect in the country last year is already the consensus No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft this year. Flagg’s elite athleticism, shooting, and passing packed into a 6-foot-9 frame make him a unicorn of a player that could come to be one of the faces of the league in just a few years time.
All those talents were on display Saturday night at Madison Square Garden as Flagg and his third-ranked Duke Blue Devils squad sunk the Illinois Fighting Illini 110-67.
Duke freshman Cooper Flagg showed why he’s the presumptive top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft
Flagg dropped 16 points to help lead the Blue Devils to an easy victory over Illinois in New York
Flagg was long heralded as the top player in the country at the high school level. After leaving Maine for Florida’s Montverde Academy, he shone against some of the top programs in the nation and attracted plenty of attention from colleges.
By all accounts, Duke were the front-runners for him throughout his recruitment.
Cooper’s mother, Kelly, was a star basketball player at the University of Maine. She was also a fan of Duke star Christian Laettner – the most polarizing player in college basketball history.
Flagg could have stayed in New England. A late push from Dan Hurley and the UConn Huskies made the commitment a 50-50 decision when the time came.
A poignant moment in UConn’s push came when Flagg posed with now-Portland Trail Blazers star Donavan Clingan. Clingan’s late mother, Stacey, was one of Kelly Flagg’s teammates at UMaine. So when the two boys were photographed wearing their mother’s jerseys, it was a special moment.
But Flagg stuck with his gut, and with the team he had grown up idolizing all along.
Now, Flagg’s name has the next in a laundry list of players from Durham to go first overall, joining Art Heyman, Elton Brand, Kyrie Irving, Zion Williamson, and Paolo Banchero.
That’s not to include the litany of elite basketball stars who have touched the court at Cameron Indoor Stadium: Grant Hill. Jayson Tatum. Brandon Ingram. Grayson Allen. Shane Battier.
Flagg was destined to go to Duke and has lived up to his billing as top recruit in the country
But being a white kid at this school comes with a reputation and its own set of challenges
Duke is a basketball school. Hell, they might be the basketball school. With that success comes the burning hatred of a thousand fires that extends far beyond Tobacco Road.
Part of that is due to the school’s success – especially under the tutelage of Mike Krzyzewski, who led the Blue Devils to five national titles.
But race has also played a factor. So-called ‘white villains’ have been embedded in the fabric of the school’s basketball program for years – possibly garnering more hatred than any others. It’s something Kelly and Cooper talked about before committing.
Laettner was the blueprint. His dominant play was paired with an attitude that could be called confidence or arrogance depending on who you asked.
JJ Redick was subject to plenty of hatred as well. So was Grayson Allen, who may have essentially been a shorter Laettner clone in terms of aggressiveness in both play and in words.
Flagg hasn’t had that vitriol. He’s not controversial like Laettner or Allen. He doesn’t provoke, outside of his play on the court. It’s that play that has him as one of the favorites to win the award for National Player of the Year.
Granted, Flagg’s not the only reason why Duke is third in the nation. Guards Kon Knueppel and Tyrese Proctor average double-digit points and the unit is completed by Khaman Malauch to form one of the most well-rounded teams in the country.
Duke’s Tyrese Proctor (5) drives past Kasparas Jakucionis (32) of Illinois on Saturday night
Kon Knueppel (7) takes a shot over Illinois’ Tomislav Ivisic (13) at Madison Square Garden
That was evident at Madison Square Garden. Illinois was ranked as high as 13 in the nation at one point this year and features a future top-five NBA pick of their own in Lithuanian guard Kasparas Jakucionis.
But in the pre-game, all eyes were on Flagg. He led the Blue Devils out of the locker room and threw an emphatic dunk down in warmups.
Neither of the two lottery picks were particularly strong in the first half. Flagg got most of his points at the line and Jakucionis didn’t get going until later in the frame.
The good news, for Flagg at least, is that his teammates dominated as he struggled. Proctor and guard Isaiah Evans each had double-digit points and guard Sion James hit half his shots from beyond the arc to ensure the Blue Devils were up 17 at the half.
Flagg announced his presence 40 seconds into the second half. A steal led to a breakaway dunk that got everyone in royal blue out of their seats.
Not even five minutes into the second half and Flagg was out in full force and essentially put the game out of reach. High flying dunk here, fight for a rebound there, smooth dish out to the wing as an added bonus.
Illinois couldn’t keep up. For a team that hung around the top-25 for so long, they were abysmal defensively.
Isaiah Evans (3) had a strong first half for the Blue Devils to help build a massive halftime lead
Flagg then turned up the intensity in the second half and ended the game way too early
What’s worse, Illinois finished shooting 37 percent from the floor and an abysmal seven percent from 3-point range.
When the final horn sounded, Illinois had suffered the worst loss in program history.
Flagg checked out of the game with over six minutes left, finishing with 16 points, seven rebounds, and five assists- with ten of those points coming in the second half.
Sure, Duke has a reputation. Sure, many college basketball fans don’t like them. But the fact is, this team plays great basketball. They work well together, they put on a show, and they win – a lot.
March Madness is just around the corner. Don’t be surprised if they’re holding parades in Durham, North Carolina at the end of it all.
