Ace Flagg averaged 2.2 points per game at Montverde Academy his sophomore and junior years, but his role is expected to be very different this upcoming season.
Greensboro Day School head coach Freddy Johnson has high hopes for the 17-year-old Newport native, who announced his decision to transfer to the North Carolina prep school on Monday.
Johnson, a former winner of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame’s Lifetime Achievement Award and a coach at the 2013 McDonald’s All-American Game, has marshaled the Bengals to eight state championships and two GEICO national tournament appearances since the turn of the century.
He believes Flagg could be Greensboro’s star player beginning this fall. And while they may not be as high-profile as Montverde’s players, 70 percent of Greensboro’s alumni have progressed to the collegiate level since 2013, and three have gone on to play in the NBA in Johnson’s 48-year tenure.
“Adding Ace fills a very important role for us. I want him to become the player who gets the ball and is in charge in tough situations,” Johnson said. “I’ve seen his leadership and toughness in AAU, and he’s the perfect addition to our team.”
As a member of the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association — a governing body for private schools around the state — Greensboro Day School is prohibited from recruiting players or offering athletic scholarships.
Instead, Flagg’s camp reached out to Greensboro this spring, and Johnson immediately got to watching tape of Flagg’s games with Brian Scalabrine’s White Mamba AAU team.
Johnson was impressed by Flagg’s versatility and selflessness.
“He can play as a guard or post up, and can bring the ball up the floor. He makes his teammates better, is a vocal leader and goes and gets rebounds,” Johnson said. “He always looks to pass, but I want him to be more selfish.”
At Montverde, Flagg, a 6-foot-7 forward, came off the bench for a historically stacked Eagles squad that won the 2024 Chipotle national championship with four five-star recruits — including Ace’s twin brother, Cooper — in its starting lineup.
Johnson’s coaching philosophy revolves around positionless ball movement and individual player development, and he foresees Flagg being one of multiple guys to average 15 or 16 points per game.
“We want to make every kid better and keep everyone involved,” Johnson said. “It [takes] a commitment to the program, and to their education. The goal is for them to play in college.”
The Bengals begin basketball-related activities the day after Labor Day, and boast three gyms on campus. They compete in North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad Athletic Conference, “the strongest conference in the state,” according to Johnson.
