Cooper Flagg Makes Family History in NCAA Tournament
Duke freshman Cooper Flagg entered the NCAA tournament leading in various statistical categories. He has been the top performer for his team in all five major metrics, tops the mock draft projections as the anticipated first NBA draft pick, and is a leading candidate for college player of the year.
However, until Sunday, there was one category in which Flagg was still sharing the top spot with his mother, Kelly Flagg.
Prior to Flagg and Duke’s second-round victory over Baylor University this past weekend, he was tied with his mother, Kelly Flagg (formerly Kelly Bowman), for NCAA tournament wins. Kelly was a significant player on the 1998-99 University of Maine women’s basketball team, which achieved the school’s only NCAA tournament victory by upsetting Stanford. Flagg matched his mother’s record when Duke triumphantly overcame Mount St. Mary’s, and he surpassed her family record with the win over Baylor.
In an interview with the Bangor Daily News last week, Kelly expressed her hope to see her son break her tournament win record while playfully relishing her status as the family leader in NCAA wins before it changed. “But for the next five days, I can still brag that I’m the only Flagg who has won a tournament game in the NCAA tourney,” she stated on March 17.
Cooper Flagg is accomplishing remarkable feats not just for his family, but also in the broader context of college basketball history. Recently, he became only the fourth NCAA player to receive both the Oscar Robertson Trophy and the Wayman Tisdale Award.
As he makes history on a national level, the resemblance to his family’s basketball lineage and the achievements of his parents in Maine basketball is evident. Both of his parents, Kelly and Ralph Flagg, were standout athletes at Nokomis High School in Newport, with Kelly continuing her career at UMaine and Ralph at Eastern Maine Technical College (now Eastern Maine Community College).
Historical parallels can be drawn from highlights of his parents’ playing days, particularly in their statistics and playing styles, which reflect what Cooper Flagg is showcasing today. For instance, Ralph Flagg averaged over 15 points and 13 rebounds per game in February 1991, and his performance against Bangor High, with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks, mirrors some of Cooper’s statistics from the current season.
Before assuming the Flagg surname, Kelly Bowman exhibited a versatile skill set on the court, which led to her being named first team All-Maine in 1994 at Nokomis. That year, she averaged 18 points, 11 rebounds, three steals, three blocks, and two assists per game—setting a high standard for her family’s all-around gameplay.
Additionally, another connection within the Flagg family tree is evident as Cooper’s twin brother, Ace, has recently committed to the University of Maine, where Kelly previously played. Ace also expressed his desire to represent the state of Maine, echoing the sentiments Kelly shared about staying close to home when she opted to play at UMaine. “A large factor of my decision was a love for the state of Maine as a whole. Being able to play and represent the state I love is extremely special to me,” Ace shared recently.
While history may not replicate itself exactly, the Flagg family’s continued basketball legacy clearly resonates through their shared values and approaches to the game.
