Montverde Academy boys' basketball player Cooper Flagg continues to rack up the post season honors. Already the winner of the Naismith Player of the Year award, along with being named a McDonald's All-American, the basketball prodigy was named the Gatorade Florida Boys Basketball Player of the Year award for the 2023-24 high school basketball season.
Flagg has had a phenomenal year and has been one of the primary factors to the Eagles' perfect 30-0 record this past regular season. The senior forward has averaged 16.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in 30 games this season.
He now becomes the fourteenth student-athlete in Montverde Academy history to win the coveted award and the sixth boys' basketball player in Montverde Academy annals to win it, joining the likes of Darik Whitehead (2022), Caleb Houstan (2021), Cade Cunningham (2020), RJ Barrett (2018) and Ben Simmons (2015).
In addition to girls' basketball player Jaloni Cambridge who won the same award last week on the girls' side, it marks the first time in Montverde Academy history that the Eagles have swept the Gatorade basketball awards for the state of Florida.
Press release below is courtesy of Gatorade:
CHICAGO (March 21, 2024) — In its 39th year of honoring the nation's most elite high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Cooper Flagg of Montverde Academy is the 2023-24 Gatorade Florida Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Flagg is the sixth Gatorade Florida Boys Basketball Player of the Year to be chosen from Montverde Academy.
The award, which celebrates the nation's top high school athletes for excellence on the court, in the classroom and in the community, distinguishes Flagg as Florida's best high school boys basketball player. From CEOs and coaches to star athletes, Gatorade Player of the Year winners showcase the power of sport. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year award to be announced in March, Flagg joins an all-star group of alumni that includes LeBron James (2002-03 & 2001-02, St. Vincent – St. Mary High School, Ohio), Karl-Anthony Towns (2013-14 & 2012-13, St. Joseph High School, N.J.) and Jayson Tatum (2015-16, 2014- 15 & 2013-14, Chaminade College Preparatory School, Mo.).
At the time of his selection, the 6-foot-9, 195-pound senior wing had led the Eagles to a 30-0 record and a berth in the Chipotle Nationals. Flagg averaged 16.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.7 blocks and 1.6 steals this past season, shooting 54.8 percent from the field through 30 games. The 2024 Naismith Award National High School Player of the Year, Flagg is a McDonald's All-American Game selection, and a member of both Nike Hoop Summit Team USA and the Jordan Brand Classic squad. Also the 2021-22 Gatorade Maine Player of the Year, he is ranked as the nation's No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2024 by ESPN, 247Sports and Rivals.
Flagg has donated his time to charitable fundraising events for a variety of causes. His AAU team hosted an exhibition game this past summer to raise money with proceeds going to the Donovan Kurt Memorial Cancer Fund, an organization dedicated to helping families pay for medical expenses incurred while fighting childhood cancers. Donovan was a childhood friend of Flagg's who lost his battle to brain cancer in November 2022. Flagg also participated in a fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House Charities, with which the Flagg family has a personal connection. Flagg's parents stayed at a Ronald McDonald House when both he and his twin brother were admitted to the NICU as infants. He has also volunteered at youth basketball camps and clinics in both Maine and Florida. "Cooper Flagg stands out from the crowd for his versatility, intensity and commitment to playing on both sides of the ball," said Eric Rossi, 247 Sports Director of Basketball. "In a situation where he was the lone star player, he would put up monster scoring numbers, but his selflessness and ability to still produce at a high level on a very complete roster really stands out. He has positional versatility, size and is arguably the best defensive player in the class of 2024. Bottom line, he's the ultimate competitor and a true winner who is very deserving of all the accolades he's received."
Flagg has maintained a weighted 4.10 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a national letter of intent to play basketball on scholarship at Duke University this fall.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.
Flagg joins recent Gatorade Florida Boys Basketball Players of the Year Cameron Boozer (2022-23, Christopher Columbus High School), Dariq Whitehead (2021-22, Montverde Academy), Caleb Houstan (2020-21, Montverde Academy) and Cade Cunningham (2019-20, Montverde Academy), among the state's list of former award winners.
As part of Gatorade's commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, Gatorade Player of the Year winners' grants have totaled more than $4.9 million across more than 1,600 organizations.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow us on social media on Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY, Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade and Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade.
