The Maine Event in Portland this past weekend was more than just a homecoming for Newport natives Cooper and Ace Flagg — it was a celebration of everyone involved in their ascension to stardom.
Opening for Montverde Academy on Friday and Saturday nights were a few of Maine’s most well-known players, as the Flaggs’ former Maine United teammates Dawson Townsend (Nokomis), Landon Clark (St. Paul’s) and Teigan Pelletier (St. Paul’s) took the court under the bright lights.
This trio, along with the Flagg twins and five more of Maine’s top 16U players, shocked the nation this past July when they finished as runners-up at the Nike Elite Youth Basketball Peach Jam in South Carolina. Before it was even over, Maine United’s run became a social media hit, promoting Cooper to the country’s No. 1 prospect, and launching the entire state of Maine into the national spotlight.
Later that summer, New York-based Made Hoops CEO Chad Babel and Maine United coaches Kelly Flagg, Andy Bedard and Matt MacKenzie got to work organizing the Maine Event, which sold out within 12 hours last month.
Townsend, Clark and Pelletier relished the opportunity to suit up in front of thousands of Maine’s biggest basketball fans.
“I immediately had a smile on my face, like, ‘Man, that’s going to be crazy,’” Clark said. The 6-foot-8 Bangor native transferred to St. Paul’s in Concord, New Hampshire, the same summer Cooper and Ace shipped off to Montverde. “There’s a lot of excitement playing in front of familiar faces out here.”
Townsend, who was part of Nokomis’ talented freshman class that led the Warriors to the 2021-22 Class A state championship, echoed those sentiments.
“It’s awesome to be part of this event,” Townsend said. “Especially being so close and having a great relationship with [Cooper]. It’s cool to see the hard work pay off.”
While Ace Flagg, Clark and Pelletier didn’t put up the ridiculous stats that Cooper did this weekend, they showed that they can hang with the big dogs, and are benefitting from the transition to prep school. Moreover, they still have one more year to mature physically and hone their skill packages.
Of their stacked 16U squad this summer, Cooper Flagg has committed to Duke, Ace has received six Division I offers and Clark has received an offer from UMaine. Pelletier, a 6-foot-6 South Paris native, is also on track to succeed at the collegiate level, if he decides to pursue it.
It’s no secret that Division I basketball offers are rare for young Mainers, but the overwhelming talent on Maine United’s roster and coaching staff (Bedard and Kelly Flagg were both all-Maine first-teamers in 1994, and had successful Division I basketball careers) is something the state has never seen before — yielding a caliber of athlete the state has never seen before.
“This generation’s been really good — Cooper, Ace, JP Estrella, us — so many guys you can’t name them all,” Clark said. “It’s cool to really see the spotlight come on Maine now, and hopefully that’s going to continue. [Cooper’s] one of a kind.”
