Ace Flagg, twin brother of Duke’s Cooper Flagg, commits to Maine in fitting homecoming

Ace Flagg, the twin brother of projected No. 1 NBA Draft pick Cooper Flagg, is “coming home.” The forward from Newport, Maine, announced his commitment Tuesday to the University of Maine.

Cooper has already garnered plenty of headlines as the hype surrounding the Duke phenom builds leading into the start of his freshman campaign, but Ace has earned collegiate interest in his own right, picking Maine over West Virginia, Richmond and George Washington, among others, according to ESPN.

In a fitting twist for the brothers, the No. 7 Blue Devils begin their 2024-25 season hosting unranked Maine on Nov. 4. The Black Bears are coming off a 15-17 season. (The Blue Devils finished last season 27-9 and lost to NC State in the Elite Eight.)

Ace is ranked as a three-star prospect in the 2025 class, per ESPN and 247Sports. Unlike Ace, Cooper reclassified into the 2024 class to play for Duke this year.

When Cooper reclassified — which gets him to the NBA a year sooner — Ace transferred from Montverde Academy (Fla.) to Greensboro Day School (N.C.), about an hour from Duke’s campus.

Last season at Montverde, while scraping for minutes on a roster that featured four five-star prospects, Ace averaged 2.6 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. His best performance last season came in January, when he had 11 points, two rebounds, two assists and one steal against Imani Christian Academy.

Scouting report

Ace isn’t nearly the same caliber of player as Cooper — partially because of Cooper’s natural gifts, but also because Ace started playing basketball at a later age — but he’s still good enough to legitimately play at a D-I school. In fact, had he wanted to, Ace probably could’ve wound up at a better mid-major school, or even possibly a high-major.

But it’s hard to pass up playing at home — especially considering Ace and Cooper’s mother, Kelly, was a star at Maine in the late 1990s. She was even a captain on the Maine women’s team that won the program’s only NCAA Tournament game, a first-round upset over Stanford in 1999. Ace now continues the family legacy there, while giving Maine men’s coach Chris Markwood an impactful homegrown talent.

As for what type of impact Ace can make in college, at 6-foot-7 and 180 pounds, he has the frame to play either forward spot at the next level. But since he grew up playing with Cooper, whose versatility is one of his calling cards, Ace often was relegated to post duty, meaning he’s comfortable rebounding inside and finishing. He has the makings of a stretch-forward in the America East, though, considering his two seasons at the prestigious Montverde Academy. — Brendan Marks, college basketball writer

Why the homecoming makes sense

From a personal standpoint, more than the fact that Kelly went to Maine, Ace staying home makes complete sense. The family moved from Newport — where generations of Flaggs are from — to Florida after the twins’ freshman season, formally selling their home there last fall. But with Cooper at Duke now — and in the NBA next year — Ace returning home means the entire family will get to do so. More than that, the entire Flagg clan will be able to watch Ace’s games and spend time with him in college (compared to regularly having to fly to Durham to watch Cooper).

The familiarity factor extends even further, too. Orono — the city where the University of Maine is located, just outside of Bangor — is where Ace and Cooper hosted a summer basketball camp. It’s only about a 40-minute drive from Newport. — Marks