Fans of the University of Maine’s men’s basketball program will be excited to know that 17-year-old basketball star Ace Flagg has taken an official visit to Orono’s campus.
The Newport native posted photos of himself in home and away uniforms to Instagram on Monday night, writing, “Black Bears? #notcommitted.”
Flagg is clearly still weighing his college options, but UMaine is the first school that he has accepted an invitation to officially visit, indicating that the Black Bears are on his short list. Twin brother Cooper posted similar photos of himself in University of Connecticut and Duke University threads last fall, and his highly anticipated college decision ultimately came down to those two schools.
Ace received his first two college offers alongside Cooper in 2022, from UMaine and the University of West Virginia. Ace has also received individual offers from George Washington University in Washington, D.C.; Florida Gulf Coast University; St. Joseph’s University in Pennsylvania; and the University of Richmond in Virginia.
After winning a state championship with Nokomis in 2022 and a national championship with Florida’s Montverde Academy this spring, the Flagg brothers relocated to North Carolina this summer. Ace is playing his final year of high school ball at Greensboro Day School, and Cooper has reclassified to play for Duke one year early. The brothers held a youth camp for hundreds of local kids at UMaine’s Field House and Memorial Gymnasium in August.
Under NCAA rules, Flagg is permitted to take official visits to any number of schools, and UMaine head coach Chris Markwood is not allowed to comment on the recruitment process. Flagg previously stated that UMaine is “a great option” for him.
Student-athletes can verbally commit to a college at any time, and Division I basketball players can sign their national letter of intent during the “early period” (between Nov. 13 and Nov. 20, 2024) or “regular period” (April 16-May 21, 2025). Cooper signed his letter during last year’s early period.
