ORONO -Â On Nov. 4, 2024, Maine men's basketball will take the trip down to Durham, North Carolina to play Cooper Flagg and the Duke Blue Devils in a non-conference game.
Flagg, whose mother Kelly played for the Black Bears in college, was the top-ranked recruit from the Class of 2024. He committed to Duke last fall. With the matchup falling on opening day, Flagg's first collegiate game will be against his mother's alma mater and his home state school.
Likely a one-and-done, Flagg is already seen as a top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Right now, the Blue Devils are one of the favorites to win the NCAA Championship next season. While it's a great experience for him to take on a school with a personal connection, it's also a great opportunity for Maine to get some national exposure against a title contender.
"If you're a kid that grew up playing college basketball and you get to play in places like Cameron Indoor and against teams the caliber of Duke, that's really special out into itself," said Seth Woodcock, Maine's senior athletic director for development and capital planning. "[It's] a little more special this time around because the son of one of our alums will be playing his opener there."