An Open Letter to Cooper Flagg

Dear Cooper,

You did us proud! Speaking on behalf of the State of Maine you couldn't have made us prouder. We are an exhausted bunch, what with the semifinal game ending shortly before midnight, and we went to bed disappointed -- not in you -- but because we couldn't root for you on Monday in the finals.

For four years you have taken us on a magical ride and made a basketball-crazy region even crazier.

I was there four years ago when the Nokomis Warriors celebrated their 1st gold ball. You went off for 22 points, nearly outscoring the entire Falmouth team when Nokomis won 43-27. The Nokomis gym was packed with Warrior faithful as the team brought the gold ball into the school. And I remember how impressed I was with your modesty. You were the star, but you and your brother Ace, as freshmen, were the last ones to speak.

And then I remember how disappointed we were when you and Ace decided to transfer to Montverde Academy. The disappointment was only that we weren't going to watch you grow up and dominate Maine basketball for the next three years. We were saddened that our Newport, Maine native was leaving us. But we knew it was the best thing for you.

And boy wasn't it great! We were able to watch you from afar play for Montverde Academy and lead them to a championship. A perfect 33-0 season, And we just were so proud. And that was only a year ago. You were just 17.

And in between that time you played for the USA Under 17 Team in Spain as a 15-year-old. And people were raving.

Then you played for the USA Select Team against the USA Olympic Team and you had people comparing you to the NBA superstars.

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All the while everyone was wondering where you were going to go to college, when you reclassified and graduated early. Would it be Duke, Kansas,  or UConn? We all secretly wished it would have been Maine, Could you imagine if you had played one season at Maine? The Black Bears would have had to play at the Cross Insurance Center because there's no way The Pit would have held everyone wanting to see you in a Maine uniform.

But you decided to go to Duke, and even those from Maine who hated Duke, were rooting for you.

And holy what a season you had. You won nearly every award there was. And you were humble, you and your family gave back to the community. You and your brother put on a clinic in Portland and sold it out in 24 hours. You and your family contributed to the Ronald McDonald House here in Maine and in North Carolina.

You have raised the hopes of every basketball player in the State of Maine. A generation ago, little girls were hoping to be Cindy Blodgett. Now little boys are hoping to be Cooper Flagg. You have set the bar, and you have set it high.

You have sparked a cottage industry here in Maine. We carried Duke games on 92.9 The Ticket this winter. We wrote about every Duke game on the 92.9 The Ticket website.

Next year we are looking forward to seeing your brother, Ace play for the Black Bears. We hope you and your Mom and Dad will be spending some time in Orono watching him play.

And now we watch to see what you are going to do next! Do you return to Duke for another year to attempt to win the NCAA championship next year, or do you turn pro? Whatever you do, you can be assured that the State of Maine will be rooting for you and rooting hard.

So thanks, Cooper. What a ride it's been. And as an 18-year-old, with his career ahead of him, we can't wait to watch you. I have a feeling if you go to the NBA, they're not going to be able to keep your shirts in stock here in Maine. And now we just have to figure out a way for you to play for the Celtics! Can you imagine?