Duke commit Cooper Flagg leads Montverde past Cameron Boozer's Explorers in high school basketball blockbuster matchup

Cooper Flagg and the Montverde Eagles (Orlando, Florida) easily handled Cameron Boozer and Christopher Columbus (Miami, Florida) in a highly anticipated high school matchup between two of the top boys players in the country. The Eagles led the entire game and came away with the easy win, 89-61.

Flagg, the No. 1 player in the country in the Class of 2024, did it all for the Eagles, leading the break, blocking shots and making tough plays around the rim. Flagg, a 6-foot-9 forward, is headed to Duke next season and is the projected top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Flagg was the most impressive player on the court, finishing with 22 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals in the win. Teammate Liam McNeeley added 20 points and was incredible from behind the arc, hitting five 3s and adding eight rebounds.

It was a quiet first half for Boozer who couldn't find his rhythm offensively. He entered the game shooting 40% from 3-point range but connected on only 1-of-5 attempts Friday night. The 6-10 forward picked it up in the second half, getting to the rim and using his size in mismatch situations. He finished with 20 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals.

This was the second time the two teams met in the last three months with it being more of a competitive game in October at the Border League where the Eagles edged the Explorers 83-77. Both Boozer and Flagg are very familiar with each other and have gone head-to-head several times in the last three years.

"It's a rivalry that people like to make, but it's always fun playing against him [Boozer] because of how good he is," Flagg told Yahoo Sports in July. "It's always fun battling at the highest level like that. He's a great player."

Montverde head coach Kevin Boyle has built a powerhouse program over the years, sending 12 players to the NBA since 2021 (including 2021 No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham). This Montverde team is considered one of the best high school basketball teams ever with Flagg, five-stars Asa Newell (Georgia commit), McNeeley (Indiana commit) and Derik Queen (uncommitted). Also in the rotation is four-star point guard Rob Wright (Baylor commit) and LSU commit Curtis Givens III.

"There is so much talent on this team with multiple future NBA players, outside of Cooper Flagg," one NBA scout told Yahoo Sports. "Multiple players with length, versatility and great instincts. Boyle does a great job getting all of these highly rated players to buy in and play together."

The Eagles remain undefeated and are the No. 1 team in the country. Montverde has six national championships in program history, and many believe that this season's team could not only go undefeated, but also bring home another title.

Montverde's schedule doesn't get any easier and it will face No. 2 Link Academy (Missouri) on Dec. 8 in the EYBL Scholastic Showcase in Las Vegas.