Cooper Flagg Named USA Basketball's Male Athlete of the Year

Former Nokomis basketball star Cooper Flagg, 15, has been named USA Basketball’s Male Athlete of the Year, the youngest to earn the honor since the award’s inception in 1980.

Flagg was one of the youngest players at the FIBA Men’s U17 World Cup last summer in Malaga, Spain.

The USA Men’s U17 National Team went on a dominant run, going 7-0 and winning a gold medal. It was the sixth consecutive U17 world title for the U.S. A 6-7 forward, Flagg proved impossible to ignore throughout the tournament, averaging 9.3 points and 10.0 rebounds. He also led the team with 2.4 steals and 2.9 blocks.

Flagg was nearly 18 months younger than most of his competition, yet he still shined. For this, he has been named USA Basketball’s Male Athlete of the Year, the youngest to earn the honor since the award’s inception in 1980.