Nokomis High School of Newport star Cooper Flagg didn’t doubt his abilities.
When he attended the tryout camp for the USA FIBA World Cup Under-17 team, he was confident he would make it despite being one of the youngest players.
Not only did the 15-year-old make the team, he played an important role in Team USA going 7-0 and winning the world championship in Spain.
It’s the latest accomplishment for Flagg, whose stock and confidence continue to rise. Since being named the third-best freshman player in the country by ESPN, he has received a slew of scholarship offers from the nation’s top collegiate programs and made his international debut. Now, he and his Maine United 15-Under AAU basketball team will play in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League Peach Jam Tournament in Augusta, Georgia.
“To play with and against players of such a high level definitely gave my confidence a big boost,” Flagg said of his experience in the FIBA World Cup.
In the come-from-behind 79-67 win in Sunday’s final, he had 10 points, 17 rebounds, four blocked shots and a game-high eight steals. He had seven rebounds in the third quarter alone, and the Americans used a 21-3 spurt to turn a seven-point deficit into an 11-point lead.
Flagg helped the Americans close out the game by hitting a 3-pointer, grabbing four rebounds, blocking three shots and making two steals over the game’s final 7:01.
“It has been a busy summer, but I’m grateful for all of these opportunities,” said the 6-foot-8 forward. “The tournament in Spain was a great experience. I got a chance to go someplace new, try new foods and be able to play basketball with a bunch of guys I will be seeing a lot of in the future.”
His final stat line for the tournament included averages of 9.3 points, 10 rebounds, 2.4 blocked shots, 2.4 steals and 1.9 assists, with just over 19:30 of playing time per contest.
He shot 43.5 percent from the floor (27-for-62), 3-for-7 beyond the 3-point arc and 8-for-11 from the free throw line. He had eight turnovers in seven games.
“Throughout the tournament, I was just looking to do whatever I could to help us win. I may not have scored a lot, but I was happy that I was able to contribute in other ways,” Flagg said.
He got back to Newport at 2 a.m. on Tuesday and flew to Florida Thursday to prepare for the Peach Jam. The team — coached by former University of Maine star Andy Bedard and assistant Kelly (Bowman) Flagg, Cooper’s mother — became the first from Maine to qualify for the tournament.
They open with Team Takeover from Washington, D.C., on Sunday at 11 a.m.
Flagg likes his team’s chances at the Peach Jam, which will run through July 24.
“We’re solid. We will have to play as a team, play for each other and play as hard as we can. If we do, I know we can win,” said Flagg, who teamed with twin brother, Ace, to lead Nokomis to its first state Class A boys championship this past season.
He knows there will be plenty of college coaches on hand to watch the event. Flagg has already received offers from the University of Maine, Duke, UCLA, Michigan, Iowa, West Virginia, Albany and Bryant.
“It’s a big tournament, and I know a lot of recruitment comes out of it,” said Flagg, who hasn’t decided on a college yet.
First, he said he needs to “develop my offensive game in general. My shooting, ballhandling. I have to try to clean some stuff up and continue to push forward.”
Flagg will attend the highly regarded Montverde Academy in Florida in the fall, along with Ace.
In addition to the Flagg twins, the Maine United 15-under team includes Bangor’s Landon Clark, Cheverus High of Portland’s Leo McNabb and Sammy Nzeyimana, Nokomis’ Dawson Townsend, Medomak Valley of Waldoboro’s Gabe Lash and Kaden Bedard, Andy’s son.
Kaden Bedard, an eighth-grader, attends Montverde Academy.
