Stepping off the apply courtroom with Group USA—the place he turned quite a lot of heads not too long ago—and onto the 2024 ESPY Awards stage, Cooper Flagg’s dynamic highschool profession culminated with some of the distinguished honors on Thursday night time: Gatorade Participant of the Yr.
The Duke commit and top-rated recruit from the category of 2024 was introduced with the award by Former Gatorade Finest Feminine Gamers of the Yr Candace Parker and Paige Bueckers. Flagg now joins a listing of high alumni that features Jayson Tatum, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, and Karl-Anthony Cities, plus the 2024 Feminine Participant of the Yr, Sadie Engelhardt.
“It’s an honor to take home this award, and having it handed to me by some of the biggest names in basketball makes it even better,” mentioned Flagg in a press release. “The list of former Gatorade Best Players of the Year speaks for itself, so it’s special to put my name next to theirs.”
The 6-foot-9 basketball star’s resume hardly wants a serious rehash at this level, with Flagg proving a number of instances that he’s a generational expertise, from his time at Montverde (Fla.), the place he helped lead the Eagles to a 34-0 document final season and the Chipotle Nationals title, to his present high-flying highlights with USA Basketball.
Duke commit Cooper Flagg has taken over USA Basketball scrimmage: hits a 3 after which finishes a troublesome putback pic.twitter.com/SB3Y4fDpYt
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) July 8, 2024
Like all of the Gatorade nominees all through the 20-year historical past, Flagg created a top-tier profession on the courtroom whereas standing simply as tall within the class and group.
The longer term Blue Satan participated in fundraisers for the Ronald McDonald Home and Donovan Kurt Memorial Most cancers Fund, volunteered at youth basketball camps and clinics in Maine and Florida, and maintained a 4.10 GPA.
“Our Gatorade Player of the Year class embodies the future of sport, so we’re energized to celebrate their accomplishments and bright futures during this one-of-a-kind experience,” mentioned Gatorade president and basic supervisor Mike Del Pozzo in a statemnet. “For decades Gatorade Players of the Year have gone on to have incredible success both on the field of play and in their communities, and we can’t wait to see what these athletes do next.”