College basketball recruiting: Five

Montverde (Fla.) Academy star Cooper Flagg, the No. 2 overall player in the class of 2024, is trending to Duke, according to his 247Sports Crystal Ball. The five-star power forward has enjoyed a dominant summer, including an MVP performance at Peach Jam.

Flagg picked up two 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions that he will join the Blue Devils, with both crystal balls coming with a confidence score of seven out of 10. Flagg took an unofficial visit to Duke this week.

Making this prediction extra interesting is the buzz that Flagg, who is in contention for the No. 1 overall ranking, could reclassify to 2024, potentially giving Duke coach Jon Scheyer a foundational piece for his team next year. Duke already has five-star Isaiah Evans and four-star Darren Harris committed in the 2024 class, with Evans checking in as the nation’s 10th-best player.

Flagg won the Gatorade Maine Boys Player of the Year as a freshman at Nokomis Regional High School in Maine, when he averaged 21.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 4.0 steals and 4.0 blocks per game in leading his team to a state title. He transferred to Montverde as a sophomore, where he averaged 9.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.2 blocks and 1.6 steals in just 17.8 minutes per game.

And while Flagg entered Peach Jam already ranked as the nation’s No. 2 prospect, his performance there in leading Maine United to the 16U Championship Game put him on the map as a household name even more more casual fans. Flagg averaged 25.4 points, 13.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 6.9 blocks per game at the event, including three triple-doubles.

After the event — one where Flagg went head-to-head twice with 2025’s No. 1 player in Cameron Boozer — 247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein conceded that Flagg made a strong case to move up to the top spot.

“There’s still more basketball to be played this summer,” Finkelstein said. “But based on what we’ve seen so far, there could be a change at the top.”

Relatedly, Duke is likely to be a major player for Boozer's services as well—he's the son of former Duke star Carlos Boozer.

UConn is seen as Duke’s primary competition for Flagg at this point.

Finkelstein broke down what made Flagg's week at Peach Jam so special.

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“Although they didn’t win the championship, Cooper Flagg was incredible this week, and I think we would all agree," Finkelstein said on the College Basketball Recruiting Weekly show. "What really stood out to me was his off-ball defense. I’m gonna make … this may be a little bit of a hot take but … I don’t remember someone who is smaller, shorter than 6-10, who has better shot-blocking instincts. He’s very literally the best shot-blocker I’ve seen at this age for someone who’s not a 7-footer. And on top of that, he’s also a big-time passer and obviously just super competitive. We saw the offensive creation make strides this week. So, although they didn’t win this championship, this was a huge week for Cooper Flagg.”