Mainer Headed to the Big Leagues as Phenom Cooper Flagg Is Entering the NBA Draft

A magical college career has come to an end for Maine's own Cooper Flagg. It may have been short, but it was legendary.

The basketball phenom has officially declared for the NBA Draft, where he is heavily favored to be the number one pick.

Cooper Flagg Had One of the Most Productive Freshman Seasons Ever

It was an incredible year for Flagg at Duke. The Newport native helped lead the Blue Devils to the Final Four before falling in a close matchup to Houston.

Even with the loss, it was a season Duke fans won’t soon forget—especially those who fell in love with Flagg.

The "Maine Event" absolutely lived up to the hype. Flag lead the team in points (19.2 per game), rebounds (7.5), assists (4.2), steals (1.4), and blocks (1.4). That is simply unheard of. It's one thing to lead in a few of the major categories, but in all of them? That's some serious baller status.

Don’t get me wrong, the rest of the Blue Devils played exceptionally well, especially when they won the ACC Tournament while Flagg was sidelined with an injury. However, when he was on the floor with his teammates, Duke reached a level that few teams matched this year.

Cooper and the Flagg Family are Champions Away for the Court

It should also be pointed out how much Cooper has been an All-Star off the floor. He and his brother, Maine basketball commit Ace, are the faces of the "In Flagg We Trust" brand. The clothing line is available through Double Play Collectibles in partnership with Victor Rios, two wonderful Maine companies.

For every "In Flagg We Trust" product sold, $5 goes directly to the Ronald McDonald House in Portland, on behalf of the Flagg family. It's just another amazing thing that Flagg is a part of, and another example of Mainers helping Mainers.

Cooper Flagg Won Nearly Every Award That He Could Have

While the championship escaped Flagg, the awards didn’t. Cooper was recognized by the ACC, NCAA, coaches, media, and various organizations with a plethora of honors and accolades.

Below is a closer look at what Flagg has won, including the John Wooden Award, widely considered the Heisman Trophy of college basketball. There’s no debate: Cooper Flagg has had one of the greatest freshman seasons in college basketball history.

Congratulations to Cooper on all of his collegiate accomplishments. I look forward to seeing him drafted as the number one overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.

Let’s just hope it’s not by the Philadelphia 76ers.