From Cooper Flagg to Derik Queen: Montverde Academy impacting guys’s
Mar 24, 2025, 11:49 AM ET This time in 2015, Montverde(Florida)Academy was sitting atop the ESPN SCNext Top 25 high school basketball rankings after steamrolling the competition throughout the regular season (going 30-0) and earning the No. 1 seed headed into the Chipotle Nationals.Editor’s Picks 2 Associated”We ‘d gotten upset the year before
and our guys were so inspired by that,” said former Montverde coach Kevin Boyle, who just recently took over as head coach at SPIRE Academy in Ohio.”They had supreme focus on the task at hand. Completing the objective was the only thing that mattered.” The Eagles went on to claim the Chipotle Nationals hardware, winning three games by a typical margin of 15 points, concluding a run that amplified the discussion that they were the best team ever put together.”I believe it’s clear to any basketball guy that the two biggest high school
teams ever were the 2024 and the 2020 Montverde groups, “Boyle said.”If you took those guys in 2015 and took a couple of guys in the portal, you’ve got a genuine opportunity to win a nationwide title.”Makes good sense for a squad that included a starting five that helped their respective teams reach the NCAA tournament(and
for some, advance also)this previous weekend, including Cooper Flagg (Duke), Derik Queen (Maryland ), Robert Wright III(Baylor ), Asa Newell( Georgia)and Liam McNeeley (Connecticut). Curtis Givens III, a freshman guard with the LSU Tigers, was also a crucial piece to the puzzle, working as a part-time starter for the Eagles last year.”We had actually never ever had that many guys leave simultaneously then turn around and have this much success in Year 1,”Boyle said.”5 of them will average more points in college this year than they did at Montverde in 2015. So unselfish, so selfless, simply an unique, unique group.”Believe Boyle’s title talk is far-fetched? Here’s a breakdown of how those 5 freshmen have fared. Cooper Flagg, Duke Blue Devils: The 6-foot-8 all-everything forward exceeded expectations this season, winning ACC Gamer of the Year and Novice of the Year honors and making consensus first-team All-America status.How dominant was Flagg? He ranked in the top 10 in the ACC in five statistical categories: points(No. 3, 19.4 per game), rebounds(No. 8, 7.6), helps (No. 8, 4.2), takes (No. 10, 1.5) and blocks (No. 8, 1.3). Flagg is forecasted as
the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, per ESPN’s newest mock. On Sunday, he posted 18 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists to help the Blue Devils march on to the Sugary food 16, rolling previous Baylor 89-66. Derik Queen, Maryland Terrapins: The 6-foot-10 center boasted the second-highest scoring typical perpetuity amongst Maryland freshmen( 16.3 PPG)and checks in at No. 1 in double-doubles(15)amongst freshmen this season. On Sunday, he scored 17 points, including
the game-winning floater as time ended, and grabbed six rebounds to assist the Terrapins advance to the Sugary food 16 with a 72-71 win over Colorado State. Queen is forecasted as the No. 10 pick in the draft, per ESPN’s newest mock.DERIK QUEEN FTW OH MY GOODNESS #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/06QRH6eK3R!.?.!— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB)March 24, 2025 Robert Wright III, Baylor Bears: Wright beat out fifth-year senior Jeremy Roach for the beginning point player spot during the season, and for excellent reason. The 6-foot-1 floor basic led the group in helps(4.3 )and completed
third in scoring
(11.5 ), making Big 12 All-Freshman and Big 12 honorable reference honors in the process. On Sunday, he posted 11 points, 2 rebounds and 3 helps in an 89-66 second-round loss to Duke in the NCAA tournament.Asa Newell, Georgia Bulldogs: The flexible 6-foot-10 forward led the Bulldogs in scoring(15.4) and rebounds (6.9)en path to declaring SEC All-Freshman honors. Earlier this week, he published 20 points and 8 rebounds in an 89-68 loss to the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Newell is projected as the No. 20 pick in the draft in ESPN’s newest mock.Liam McNeeley, UConn Huskies: The 6-foot-7 wing completed third on the team in scoring(14.2)and 2nd in rebounds( 6.1)on his way to snagging Big East Freshman of the Year hardware. McNeeley posted a team-high 22 points in the Huskies ’77-75 loss to the Florida Gators in the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament on Sunday. ESPN’s newest mock projects him as the No. 14 choice in the draft.