Cooper Flagg remains No. 1 in 2024 On3 150 ranking update

Cooper Flagg remains No. 1 in the 2024 On3 150 in today’s class ranking update. Flagg, who was previously No. 1 in the 2025 class, re-classified to the 2024 class in August. He immediately took hold of the top spot in the class and remained there.

The 6-foot-8 wing is one of 11 Five Star Plus+ players in the 2024 class. The Five Star Plus+ is an indicator that the player is rated as a five-star prospect across all four major recruiting websites. With his reclass coming after the previous update, this is the first update of the 2024 On3 150 that Flagg has been in the No. 1 overall spot.

The choice of making Flagg No. 1 was not a difficult decision at this point in the cycle; however, the interesting piece is the other players who are climbing tiers toward the top.

Dylan Harper was the previous No. 1, before Flagg reclassifying. He holds steady at No. 2 for this update. Just behind Harper are two players who continue climbing toward the top, with immense upsides, Ace Bailey and Jayden Quaintance. Just behind those two, you have two-way guard VJ Edgecombe and the high-scoring Tre Johnson. The top tier of the 2024 recruiting cycle is starting to shape itself.

Our goal is to assess a prospect’s long-term potential, ultimately manifested by the NBA Draft. The goal of the ranking is not to assess who had the best high school career or who will be the best college player. This is why we shoot to end each cycle having 14 five-star prospects following the lead of the NBA Draft Lottery. Ideally, the vision is on draft night; the player we have at No. 1 has the highest odds of being the top overall pick.

Let’s discuss the thought process behind making Cooper Flagg On3’s No. 1 player at this point in the 2024 cycle.

The 2024 On3 150

Flagg’s Consistent Production

Looking across the landscape of this class, we have had numerous opportunities to see these players compete with and against one another. Cooper Flagg, like others, has been given the opportunity to take the floor and show what he is capable of, time and time again.

Since stepping foot on Newport (ME) Nokomis Regional High, Flagg has produced. The freshman was Maine’s Gatorade Player of the Year after averaging 20.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 3.7 steals per game. He led his team to a state championship.

That summer Flagg was one of three 15-year-olds on the USA Basketball U17 team. He traveled to the FIBA U17 World Cup to win a gold medal while leading Team USA in rebounds (10.0), steals (2.4), and blocks (2.9).

Flagg transferred to Montverde (FL) Academy, where his team remained among the nation’s top ten teams for the duration of the season. The only sophomore in the rotation led the 24-3 Eagles in steals (1.6) and blocks (2.2). His 3.0 assists finished second on the team and his 5.2 rebounds were third while playing 17.8 minutes per game.

This previous summer, Flagg played with the Maine United program on Nike’s EYBL E16 Circuit. Throughout the regular season, Flagg led the age group in scoring (26.9 points on 55.3% FG). His 11.9 rebounds were second in his age group. Flagg’s 4.5 blocks per game led all age groups in the circuit. He was also named MVP of this summer’s NBPA Top 100 Camp

Flagg has continually produced big numbers, playing in some of the highest-caliber events, across international play, travel ball, elite camps, and high school.

Flagg’s player archetype

Since first talking about Cooper Flagg among the top high school prospects, back in June of 2022, the name we continued to come back to is Andrei Kirilenko. When you watch Flagg, you can see shades of Kirilenko in his game. While Flagg’s offensive game continues to expand and become more efficient, he possesses game-changing defensive attributes.

In his prime, Kirilenko was a solid free throw shooter and a 30-plus percent three-point shooter. He scored in an efficient manner, taking advantage of opportune moments his motor, athleticism, and IQ created. Flagg, like Kirilenko, is an efficient offensive player. He stays within himself, finding open spaces in the half-court, and is a good off-ball cutter.

The question with Flagg continues to be his jump shooting, and that is something that continues to sharpen. Over his last 50 games played, high school and travel ball, Flagg shot 35.4 percent from three on 2.9 attempts. While he is polished in the mid-range, extending his range while shooting off movement is an area he is continuing to develop.

Flagg is showing comfort on the ball, initiating the offense from different levels of the floor, and getting to his spots in the half-court. He knows his comfort areas and gets there within two and three dribbles, possessing a confident array of go-to’s and counters in the mid-to-high post.

Kirilenko was an all-star in 2004. He was twice named NBA All-Defense first-team, and the 6-foot-9 wing was always among the NBA’s leading shot blockers. While this is not a one-to-one comparison, Flagg’s game continues to grow. Flagg’s ability on defense is truly unique, with the ability to dictate the flow of play from that end.

A look across the landscape of today’s NBA, and you see the value of having game-changing wings. Ten of the top 20 paid players in the NBA are wings. Whether it is the play-making wing or the two-way wing, many of the NBA’s best teams are anchored from the wing position. And while Flagg is still defining his exact player archetype, he certainly fits the direction basketball is heading.

The bloodlines

Cooper Flagg comes from a basketball family. He has a twin brother, Ace Flagg, a D1 recruit who plays high school and travel ball with Cooper. His dad, Ralph Flagg, played college ball at Eastern Maine Community College. 

Flagg’s mother, Kelly (Bowman) Flagg, also played college basketball. During her four seasons playing at Maine, they won four consecutive conference championships. Flagg’s mother was the team captain of the 1999 Maine team that upset Stanford in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. This win was Maine’s only NCAA Tournament victory in women’s basketball history.