NEWPORT, Maine — There’s something contagious in Newport, and it’s called Flagg Fever.
Cooper Flagg, the 18-year-old basketball standout from Newport, is making waves in his freshman season at Duke University, and his hometown is watching every step of the way.
“To see him grow up and just do all this is awesome,” Newport resident Hank McFarlin, who’s known Flagg since his early days on the court, said.
Flagg has quickly become one of the biggest names in college basketball, earning national honors that include Collegiate Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year. His standout performances are turning heads across the country.
But for folks in Newport, his success is personal.
“He’s a great team player and definitely talented as can be,” McFarlin added.
Long before the national spotlight, Flagg was making an impression at Nokomis Regional High School, where he helped lead the team to a state championship as a freshman. Locals like McFarlin said watching him at that level made it clear he was bound for something big.
“Seeing him at Nokomis, it was easy for him and then seeing him go to college and play, he said. “The kid is making it happen, and it’s great.”
It’s not just his skill that stands out. Many in Newport pointed to Flagg’s Mainer values as what truly makes him special.
“It’s all about being humble, being a team player, and being able to pass the ball,” Newport native Dave Bowman said. “He’s not a hog.
At Bear’s One Stop, Gus McIntyre said he still remembers a summer day when he and Flagg went head-to-head in a game of HORSE, with a free tank of gas on the line.
“It was a good battle,” McIntyre said. “I was ahead for a while. He was ahead for a while. He was humble, didn’t talk any trash—unlike me.”
At Nokomis, students are talk about Flagg daily.
Sophomore Ethan Griffith called the hometown hero a source of pride and motivation.
“He’s probably one of the biggest prides of our school,” Griffith said. “He’s like the warrior of Nokomis.”
He said watching someone from his own town succeed at the highest level makes his own dreams feel more possible.
“It just gives me a feeling that if he can live in the same town and have this success, I can do the same,” Griffith said.
As Duke gears up for its next big tournament matchup, Newport is ready to cheer on their hometown star.
“We’re all on the same page,” McFarland said. “Let’s go, let’s win this, and hopefully the hometown kid brings it on.”
If Cooper and the Blue Devils win against Alabama on Saturday, they will secure their spot in the final four and fly down to in San Antonio to play April 5.
