The University of Maine men’s basketball team will enjoy a unique distinction on Monday night.
The Black Bears will welcome Newport native Cooper Flagg to the world of college basketball when they open their season against the seventh-ranked Duke Blue Devils at the legendary Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C. at 7 p.m.
Flagg, a 6-foot-9 freshman from Newport, is projected to be the first overall pick in the 2025 National Basketball Association draft.
Flagg has received the kind of hype one would expect for a player who is expected to be drafted No. 1.
And the UMaine players said there is a curiosity factor for them.
“He is a talented player and any time you play one of those top recruits, you have a little curiosity to see what they’re about,” said UMaine junior guard and co-captain Jaden Clayton. “He has proven (himself). He was at the USA (Olympic) men’s basketball camp. He has proven it on different types of levels.
“It will be nice to play him but, at the end of the day, we just have to focus on ourselves,” Clayton added.
Credit: Seth Poplaski / UMaine Athletics
Senior guard A.J. Lopez sees Flagg as a challenge to be met.
“I definitely want to see what he’s made of,” said Lopez. “Try to compete as hard as we can. Try to scout and prepare as much as we can.
“It’s definitely exciting to match up against one of the top five NBA draft picks and see what we’re capable of doing against him and his team because they also have a couple more (future) draft picks,” Lopez said.
Graduate student guard Kellen Tynes agreed.
“Obviously, he’s a great player but they’ve got a lot of good players,” said Tynes. “He puts his pants on one leg at a time just like everybody else. We’re excited for the challenge.”
He said facing Flagg adds to the game.
“We’re playing them because he’s from Maine, pretty much. But we’re going into the game scouting everybody there. They’re a talented team and he is probably at the top of that scout (list) because of how talented he is,” said Tynes. “He is an all-around player, for sure.”
Duke coach Jon Scheyer praised Flagg following Sunday night’s 103-47 exhibition win over Arizona State.
Flagg played just the first half and had nine points, four rebounds and three assists.
“He impacted the game in a lot of ways. His numbers aren’t going to wow you. I didn’t put him back in the game. That’s part of it. He has this ‘it’ factor that you can’t explain. He just makes everyone around him better. His unselfishness….when your best player isn’t searching for stats it has such an amazing impact on the rest of your team.”
Scheyer described Flagg’s all-around talent as exceptional.
“That’s what he does. He guards whoever you ask him to. He’s pushing the break. The ball flows through his hands. He had a good game and he still has way more in him,” added the Duke coach. “I was proud of him. Cooper is present every single day and enjoying it.”
University of Maine head coach Chris Markwood said playing against Flagg is a unique experience.
“The story of Cooper Flagg is amazing,” said Markwood. “It’s one in a million, probably even more than that, especially for the state of Maine. To have one of our own on the biggest of stages as the premier kind of deal in the sports public right now is a pretty cool thing to see.
“For us to be able to go down there as the state university, his mom’s (Kelly Bowman Flagg) alma mater, and to have a great opportunity for us to take a swing and put our guys in a situation to play against a top 10 team in historically one of the best venues in the country is a big deal for our program and we’re really excited for that opportunity,” he added.
The Black Bears are looking forward to playing at Cameron.
Tynes visited Cameron when he was in high school and called it a cool gym.
“We know it’s going to be sold out. It’s a great environment. It’ll be a good test for us,” said Tynes.
“I’m definitely looking forward to it,” said Clayton. “It’s a legendary place to play in college and we’re going to be playing in there against fans that are going to be screaming at us. We’ve prepared for that with loud speakers in practice to replicate the environment.
“But once you’re in there, it’s going to be something none of us have ever experienced,” Clayton added. “So we’ve got to go out there and play free.”
Duke, 27-9 a year ago, has lost its top four scorers but has the top recruiting class in the country led by Flagg and the Blue Devils also have five graduate students.
Two-time America East Defensive Player of the Year Tynes, a third team All-AE selection, and Clayton will lead the Black Bears, who were picked fourth in the AE coaches’ preseason poll.
