Throughout this entire season, there’s only been one name on everyone’s mind-Cooper Flagg. The six-foot-nine phenom from Maine has been absolutely stunning this year, leading Duke in just about every major statistical category. Analysts raised questions about his shooting, but over the next few months, he turned into a veritable sniper. Simply put, he has that spark in him!
However, this isn’t anything new for the Maine Event. Flagg has been consistently dominating his competition since high school, and it hasn’t been close.
We all remember when he crossed Curry over during his own camp, and the absolute show he put on during USA Basketball’s Junior National Team minicamps. However, some people forget that Cooper Flagg put Maine on the map during his schooling days.
As he heads towards the Final Four, fans are beginning to question just how dominant he was in high school. There have been rumors floating around that he had Division I college offers in the eighth grade. Is that true? Let’s find out!
When was Flagg’s first offer and who gave it?
Yes, you heard right! Cooper Flagg, Maine’s superstar, received his first offer to play DI basketball in eighth grade. He was a freshman in Nokomis Regional High School in Newport when Bryant head coach Jared Grasso approached him with the offer.
It’s always a big thing when someone receives their first college offer. Even if they’ve been dominating the EYBL and AAU circuits, and they know they’re gonna end up playing at the highest level, every young hooper dreams of getting a phone call from their favorite program.
And for Cooper Flagg? It was a defining moment in his development. “I was just in awe, pretty much,” the 14 year old said immediately after getting the offer. He might not have committed to Bryant, but we’re sure that Cooper Flagg will cherish that memory for the rest of his life!
Which are the colleges that Cooper Flagg got an offer from?
Obviously, Bryant wasn’t the only college that recognized that Cooper Flagg was capable of playing at the highest level. As the young point-forward from Maine continued to develop over his freshman season, he kept on getting noticed by college coaches and scouts.
After winning Maine’s Gatorade Player of the Year award, reports emerged that Flagg held offers from major schools like Kentucky, Iowa, UCLA, and Kansas.
This amount of recruitment started to build the hype around Cooper Flagg as a prospect. Of course, in retrospect, it was well-deserved! There’s no stone that the Duke phenom has left unturned, no matchup that he hasn’t dominated. There have been roadblocks, for sure, but the Blue Devils definitely won’t be losing any sleep over it!
Why did Cooper Flagg commit to Duke over other colleges?
Let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to go to Duke? Especially as a basketball player. The prestige that Coach K built and maintained during his tenure as the Blue Devils head coach has lasted till date. But in Cooper Flagg’s case, Duke really wanted him.
Jon Scheyer has been a familiar face in Flagg’s basketball journey. When he was working under Coach K, he used to frequent the 15U Nike EYBL circuit that Flagg played in.
Oct 4, 2024; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Cooper Flagg (2) is introduced to the fans during Countdown to Craziness at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images
Of course, Duke was the overwhelming favourite amongst Cooper Flagg’s options, but they didn’t spare any efforts to make sure he committed!
And to be honest, it all worked out in the end. The budding superstar from Newport dominated the 2024-25 season, winning AP men’s basketball Player of the year award, and Duke is through to the final four! Flagg and his Blue Devils are trailblazing their way to the 2024-25 NCAA national championship. Will they get their fairytale ending? Only time will tell.
The post Fact Check: Did Cooper Flagg Receive a College Offer in 8th Grade? appeared first on EssentiallySports.
