MAINE, USA — Cooper Flagg, the consensus top player in the 2024 recruiting class, announced his commitment to Duke on Monday.
Flagg made the announcement in a social media post Monday in conjunction with SLAM Magazine.
Flagg had been expected to announce his choice on Thursday but delayed the announcement, saying his focus was on the the tragic mass shooting in Maine.
Flagg plays at Montverde Academy in Florida, but is from Newport, Maine, about 80 miles from Lewiston, where at least 18 people were killed and 13 injured Wednesday night in shootings at a bowling alley and a restaurant.
“All of our focus should be on supporting the victims, their families, and law enforcement — everything else can wait,” Flagg said. “My heart is with Maine.”
As part of Monday's announcement, SLAM Magazine is selling Cooper Flagg T-shirts, with a portion of proceeds going to the Lewiston-Auburn Area Response Fund to address current and emerging needs associated with the mass shooting.
The 6-foot-9 small forward had been deciding between Duke and defending national champion UConn.
Flagg had called Duke his dream school, but added the Huskies to the mix after an official visit in September, when he hung out with 7-2 center and family friend Donovan Clingan.
Flagg and Clingan's mothers had been teammates in the 1990s at Maine and the pair put up a post on social media showing them wearing replicas of their mothers' jerseys.