Where Is Cooper Flagg From? All About the NBA Draft Prospect’s Hometown and Roots

Cooper Flagg’s stardom is growing by the day. From his viral highlights to constant praise from pundits, the Duke Blue Devils standout has generated plenty of buzz — even before stepping into the NBA.

Forget about the NBA for a moment — Flagg hasn’t even made his draft plans public yet. Still, he’s already being considered a potential No. 1 pick, with his background adding to the intrigue.

Here is everything you need to know about the freshman star.

Where Is Cooper Flagg From?

The Duke phenom is a Maine native, born in the quiet town of Newport in 2006. The town, with a population of less than 5,000, is known for its lush forests, rolling hills, and scenic lakes — but not for its basketball talent.

Maine isn’t widely recognized as a breeding ground for top basketball prospects. The state has long waited for a player like Flagg to put it on the national stage.

The 18-year-old is projected to be a top draft pick, whether this year or next. His selection would end a decades-long drought — no player from Maine has been drafted since Jeff Turner, whom the New Jersey Nets (now Brooklyn Nets) selected No. 17 overall in the 1984 NBA Draft.

Flagg played his freshman season at Nokomis Regional High School in Newport before transferring to Montverde Academy in Florida, a well-known basketball powerhouse, to further develop his game. As a ninth-grader, he led Nokomis to its first-ever high school state basketball championship in 2022.

During that championship season, Flagg averaged 20.5 points, 10 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 3.7 steals, and 3.7 blocks per game for his hometown high school.

Despite coming from a state not known for basketball, the sport runs in his blood. His mother, Kelly Flagg, played college basketball at the University of Maine, leading the team to four NCAA Tournament appearances.

His father, Ralph Flagg, also has a basketball background, having played for Eastern Maine Community College. Flagg’s brothers have followed in the family’s basketball tradition as well.

SEE MORE: Is Cooper Flagg Staying at Duke? Potential No. 1 Pick Breaks Silence on NBA Future After Potential Last Home Game

His older brother, Hunter Flagg, played high school basketball at Nokomis and is now an assistant coach at Spruce Mountain High School in Jay, Maine. Cooper also has a twin brother, Ace, who is an aspiring basketball player.

Ace Flagg, a 6’7″ forward, is an unranked prospect who has committed to return to his home state to play for the Maine Black Bears.