It’s been a busy week and a half for Cooper Flagg, the 6-foot-8 talent who has the basketball world watching his every move.
He first hit the headlines in early August after a rumor swirled that he beat NBA all-star Bradley Beal during a 1-on-1 game at Jayson Tatum’s camp.
After the Brian Scalabrine-led buzz was laid to rest, it was back to business as usual for the arguably top prospect in the nation (regardless of class).
Until now.
Flagg has announced that he is reclassifying to the Class of 2024 from the ’25 group, which gives him a head start on the next chapter of his basketball career, including the professional ranks.
Montverde Academy (Fla.) shared the news via social media:
Senior Year incoming 👀
Congratulations @Cooper_Flagg 👏
Now let’s put a 🏆 in the case pic.twitter.com/oaVtz0G2xP
— Montverde Academy Basketball (@MVABasketball) August 11, 2023
The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor added exciting context to the news for NBA fans.
Massive news. Cooper Flagg in 2025, Cameron Boozer in 2026, AJ Dybantsa in 2027. Some major prospects coming to the NBA. https://t.co/3zOcIhUWgt
— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) August 11, 2023
Flagg’s defensive abilities are what originally put him on the recruiting map, a mix of size and speed with the agility to cover a ton of space. Recently, though, his offensive output has turned heads nationally, culminating during his EYBL campaign, where he averaged 25.4 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 6.9 blocks.
The heightened attention builds off the Victor Wembanyama Effect, the worldwide sensation who went No. 1 in the 2023 NBA draft and has been called a “generational talent.”
The height mixed with guard-like skills off the dribble, the range of a seasoned scoring threat … plus top-level defense and rebounding? There’s room for that on an NBA roster.
And now, the league might not have to wait as long to get it.
Of course, Flagg also has a near-open pass to a few top colleges, from Duke, Kansas, and UCLA to UConn, Villanova, Kansas State, and more.
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