Duke-bound small ahead from FAB 50 nationwide champ Montverde Academy (Fla.) makes historical past in being named 2024 Mr. Basketball USA by Ballislife.com. The spectacular all-around expertise initially from Maine is the fifth honoree for the nation’s highest particular person highschool basketball honor from Montverde Academy prior to now 10 seasons. Flagg is joined by 5 different nationwide participant of the yr candidates on all 10 ballots within the last Mr. Basketball USA Tracker balloting. The primary Mr. Basketball USA Tracker was performed in 2008, the primary actual time selection got here in 1996 and our retroactive picks date again to 1955.
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Elite highschool expertise performs nice, irrespective of the scenario or program. Some elite skills are lucky to play with different good expertise round them, whereas others should carry lesser groups. In at this time’s surroundings, a terrific expertise will likely be discovered and promoted on social media, so it is uncommon when a terrific expertise goes unappreciated.
For Cooper Flagg of Montverde Academy (Fla.), his distinctive skills coincide along with his distinctive scenario on the nation’s finest staff. He starred with a bunch of gamers who had been All-People in their very own proper, the Eagles began off No. 1 within the FAB 50 and had been anticipated to dominate the 2023-24 highschool scene. The staff did not skip a beat, ending 33-0 and their particular person skills had been acknowledged by the 10-man Mr. Basketball USA Tracker panel.
It may very well be simple to miss particular person brilliance on a staff as proficient as Montverde Academy, or to dismiss the success as merely stock-piling expertise, however a minimum of 4 MVA gamers acquired recognition as nationwide participant of the yr candidates. On a staff with loads of stars and in a yr with loads of viable candidates, Flagg stood out, topping the voting within the last tracker, and at this time is honored with the title of 2023-24 Mr. Basketball USA.
“Cooper isn’t just a terrific participant, he is an infectious chief with a piece ethic and an method that separates him from all gamers in his class,” mentioned Montverde Academy coach Kevin Boyle. “Cooper would not play basketball to attain factors or be common; this child performs the sport to win and be a champion. There isn’t any one like Cooper Flagg.”
Flagg did have an abundance of expertise round him and that’s mirrored within the last voting. Maryland-bound teammate Derik Queen completed sixth within the voting whereas showing on eight of 10 ballots. UConn-bound wing Liam McNeeley and level guard Curtis Givens additionally had been amongst 31 candidates who acquired recognition for the production-based nationwide participant of the yr honor chosen by Ballislife’s 10-man panel of nationwide scouts. Flagg was one in all 4 candidates to look on all ten ballots, an unusually excessive quantity on the finish of the season.
Montverde Academy solely had three video games determined by single-digits, but defeated 24 groups that had been FAB 50 ranked in some unspecified time in the future throughout the season, as individually Flagg met each problem and carried out properly on the large stage. For the season, the Duke commit averaged 16.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 3.9 apg, 2.7 bpg and 1.6 spg, whereas capturing 54.7 p.c from the sphere and 35.2 p.c from 3-point vary. At Chipotle Nationals, Flagg averaged 20.0 ppg and seven.0 rpg in three victories and blocked six pictures within the title recreation win over No. 3 Paul VI (Va.).
“Flagg is the very best ‘participant/prospect’ out of the U.S. highschool ranks in a few years, maybe since Anthony Davis,” mentioned panel member and U.S. Basketball Writers Affiliation Corridor of Famer Frank Burlison. “He has the power to be a dominant faculty participant in each facet of the sport in what will likely be his solely faculty season.”
Flagg is the fourth Duke-bound Mr. Basketball USA, becoming a member of 1985 honoree Danny Ferry, 2018 selection RJ Barrett and Dariq Whitehead for the 2021-22 season. He’s the fifth honoree from Montverde Academy prior to now 10 seasons, becoming a member of Ben Simmons in 2015, Barrett, Cade Cunningham in 2020 and Whitehead. Boyle has now coached six nationwide gamers of the yr, as Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was the selection in Boyle’s last season at St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) in 2010-11.
“Cooper understands the expectations which have been constructed round him and in his two years at Montverde, his skillset has developed to a sophisticated stage,” Boyle mentioned. “Most of all the child’s success stems from his capacity to compartmentalize and mentally put together for the largest moments, higher than anybody.”
Not solely was Cooper capable of separate himself from a crowded pack, what made this yr’s Mr. Basketball USA race so distinctive is that Flagg re-classified up throughout the low season and final season’s honoree, Cameron Boozer of Columbus (Miami, Fla.) was returning for his junior marketing campaign after turning into the primary tenth-grader ever to earn Mr. Basketball USA honors.
Flagg was a second 5 All-American Elite staff choice as a tenth-grader, whereas Boozer earned prime honors. Regardless of Boozer having one other terrific marketing campaign, Flagg’s mixture of expertise and staff success was the distinction. Boozer was one of many 4 gamers to look on all ten ballots, tallying 78 whole factors, however zero first place votes. He did obtain two second-place and 6 third-place votes after averaging 22.2 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 2.7 apg, 2.1 bpg whereas capturing 62 p.c from the sphere (234-378), 41 p.c from the 3-point line (43-105) and 82 p.c from the free throw line (155-188) for a staff that gained its third consecutive FHSAA Class 7A state title and completed No. 2 within the FAB 50.
“The hole between Boozer and Flagg as a ‘prospect/participant’ is far slimmer than that between he and anybody beneath Boozer on my listing, with every of 3-thru-10 nearly interchangeable, relying on the time of day,” Burlison mentioned. “Nearly “underrated” now – as loopy as that sounds – due to the elevation of the nationwide perspective over the previous yr or so of Flagg and A.J. Dybansta.”
Flagg tallied eight first place votes (10 factors every), one second and one fourth place vote for his 96 whole factors. Just one different candidate acquired a primary place vote, as Rutgers-bound level guard Dylan Harper acquired the opposite two that Flagg did not obtain after main Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) to the New Jersey Non-Public A state title and No. 19 FAB 50 rating with a 29-3 file. Harper closed sturdy, as he was named co-MVP of the McDonald’s All American Recreation with 22 factors and 5 assists and made the game-winning shot on the Jordan Model Basic, ending with a game-high 30 factors.
The opposite prospect to look in all 10 last ballots was one other elite participant who re-classed up within the low season. A.J. Dybansta of Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) is one other tremendous junior who might problem Boozer for essentially the most prestigious production-based honor in highschool basketball in 2024-25. As this yr clearly proved, every season is its personal entity and the method will begin once more with a clear slate for every participant as soon as the 2024-25 season commences.
So far as 2023-24 goes, it is inconceivable to disclaim Flagg’s expertise and the impression it had on his staff not tasting defeat from begin to end.
Editor’s Word: Click on on the “+” signal subsequent to every participant’s quantity to view what number of first, second, third or fourth place votes he bought and his total level whole. Earlier tracker outcomes are additionally listed (“Prev.”).
RankPrev. NameHigh School1st2nd3rd4thTotal
11Cooper Flagg (10)Montverde Academy (FL)810196
23Dylan Harper (10)Don Bosco Prep (NJ)242186
32Cam Boozer (10)Columbus (FL)026078
45TA.J. Dybansta (10)Prolific Prep (CA)010255
57Ace Bailey (9)McEachern (GA)011150
612Derik Queen (8) Hyperlink Academy (MO) 010140
78V.J. Edgecombe (5)Lengthy Island Lutheran (NY)001024
8T4Flory Budunga (3)Kokomo (IN)000015
8T7Tre Johnson (5)Hyperlink Academy (MO) 000015
1018TBoogie Fland (3)Archbishop Stepinac (NY)000011
11TNRDonnie Freeman (2)IMG Academy (FL)00008
11TNRDarren Harris (2)Paul VI (VA)00008
13TNRTrent Perry (1)Harvard-Westlake (CA)00017
13T16TMeleek Thomas (1)Lincoln (PA)00017
15T10Koa Peat (2)Perry (AZ)00006
15TNRD.J. Corridor (1)Plano East (TX)00006
17NRIsaiah Evans (1)North Mecklenburg (NC)00005
18TNRBrayden Burries (2)Roosevelt (CA)00004
18T9Ian Jackson (3)Our Savior (NY)00004
18TNRBrandon McCoy (1)St. John Bosco (CA)00004
21TNRCurtis Givens (1)Montverde Academy (FL)00003
21T11Derrion Reid (1)Prolific Prep (CA)00003
21TNRTyran Stokes (1)Prolific Prep (CA)00003
21TNRTounde Yessoufou (1)St. Joseph (CA)00003
25TNRJahlil Bethea (1)Archbishop Wooden (PA)00002
25TNRK. Annor Boateng (1)Little Rock Central (AR)00002
27TNRKon Knueppel (1)Wisconsin Lutheran (WI)00001
27TNRBrannon Martinsen (1)Mater Dei (CA)00001
27TNRLiam McNeely (1)Montverde Academy (FL)00001
27TNRMercy Miller (1)Notre Dame (CA)00001
27TNRJosiah Mosely (1)Stony Level (TX)00001
2022-24 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker Panel
Paul Biancardi, ESPN Nationwide Director of Basketball RecruitingFrank Burlison, BurlisonOnBasketball.com PublisherVan Coleman, Nothing However Web MagazineJordan Divens, Maxpreps.com Nationwide Basketball EditorRonnie Flores, Ballislife.com Nationwide Grassroots EditorChris Lawlor, Blue Star Media Nationwide AnalystHorace Neysmith, AllMetroHoops.comPatrick Stanwood, Patrick Stanwood BasketballDinos Trigonis, Fullcourt Press Editor & PublisherAni Umana, 5StateHoopReport.com
About Basketball USA Tracker PanelBallislife.com’s panel of 10 consultants, which incorporates six McDonald’s All-American choice committee members, casts its vote for the highest nationwide participant of the yr candidates. Every panelist lists his prime seven candidates no matter class. The votes are then tabulated on a 10-point scoring system with a first-place vote equaling 10 factors, a second-place vote incomes 9 factors and right down to 4 factors for a seventh-place vote. The quantity in parenthesis refers back to the numbers of ballots on which a participant appeared and former rankings refers to place within the earlier tracker.
For the all-time listing of Mr. Basketball USA honorees, CLICK HERE.
Ronnie Flores is the nationwide Grassroots editor of Ballislife.com. He will be reached at [email protected]. Remember to observe him on Twitter: @RonMFlores
