Ace Flagg commits to UMaine men's basketball program

Ace Flagg has decided to bring his basketball talents back to Maine. The 6-foot-2 forward from Newport announced on his Instagram Tuesday night that he has verbally committed to attend the University of Maine and play for the Black Bears.

Flagg chose UMaine over several other scholarship offers, including West Virginia, George Washington University in Washington, D.C., Florida Gulf Coast, St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia and the University of Richmond.

“The University of Maine will be a perfect fit for Ace,” said Matt MacKenzie, who has been Flagg’s athletic performance coach since he was in sixth grade. “Coach (Chris) Markwood and his team will provide fantastic support for Ace as he continues to develop as a player.

“He and his family are very important to them and they have made it very clear that they plan to showcase him as someone who will be the focus of their program for years to come,” added MacKenzie, the owner of Eastern Maine Sports Academy and results basketball in Veazie.

Markwood cannot comment on Flagg's verbal commitment per NCAA regulations. He cannot comment until he signs his National Letter of Intent.

Flagg and his twin brother Cooper led Nokomis High School to the Class A state title in their freshman season in 2022 before both transferred to Montverde Academy in Florida.

Ace Flagg then transferred to Greensboro Day School in North Carolina for this season, while Cooper will start for Duke University and is considered a potential first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Duke will open its season on Monday when it hosts UMaine.

MacKenzie said UMaine was the only school Ace officially attended.

“He knew in his heart where he wanted to be,” said MacKenzie, who also coached Flagg as an assistant with Maine United’s AAU team.

“His decision was ultimately about the right fit and he felt he could come to Maine and make an immediate impact. He feels a lot of love in his home state and knows he has a really good group of supporters in the area. His grandparents still live in the area and he has me right down the street,” MacKenzie said. “Coach Markwood is building a really good program, one that will be at the top of the America East in the near future, and Ace is really excited to be a part of it.

“He hopes to contribute to the success of the Maine men's basketball program and he wants to be part of a team that can one day punch a ticket to the NCAA Tournament,” MacKenzie added.

UMaine is a Division I program that has never secured an NCAA Tournament berth.

Earlier this summer, Flagg said he had spoken a lot with UMaine's coaching staff and that attending UMaine was a “great option.”

Flagg's mother, the former Kelly Bowman, was a three-captain of the University of Maine women's basketball team from 1998 to 1999, which was inducted into the UMaine Sports Hall of Fame.

It is the only UMaine team to win an NCAA tournament game (60-58) against Stanford University in a regional tournament in Norfolk, Virginia.

Last season, Flagg appeared in 27 games for national champion Montverde and averaged 2.6 points and 1.3 rebounds per game.

MacKenzie said UMaine is getting a player who “puts his body on the line every time he steps on the floor.”

“He is a born winner. “He’ll do all the little things the coaching staff asks him to do: rebound, take charge, set good screens and be a great liaison on the floor,” MacKenzie said. “His passing and his ability to make all the players around him better are overlooked.

“He can be a facilitator, not just someone who can score inside. And you can count on him to be a very strong defender and one of the best post defenders in the country. He will also add toughness to the defense,” MacKenzie added. “Offensively, he’s always one step ahead. He sees and reads the game incredibly well. He continues to be an expert on the game and the match between Coach Markwood and Ace is just perfect.”