ORONO — Cooper Flagg can put himself in their shoes – even if they’re 10 sizes smaller.

It wasn’t long ago that the Newport native and soon-to-be Duke men’s basketball star was the one attending camps with big-time players, hoping to be like them. On Saturday, he was the hero to so many youngsters at the University of Maine’s Memorial Gymnasium where he and his twin brother, Ace, hosted the Cooper and Ace Flagg Basketball ProCamp.

“I’ve had experiences like this in my basketball journey when I was young, being able to go to camps and meet players,” Flagg said. “I can definitely put myself in their shoes and think back to what I felt, so I’m just really excited for them and glad that I can give them this opportunity.”

Roughly 300 of them came from across the state for the camp with the Flagg brothers. The campers got to play 2-on-2 games featuring Cooper and Ace, and learn skills from the duo in an afternoon-long session in Orono.

Back for a brief stay in his home state before classes begin at Duke later this month, Cooper, the consensus No. 1 recruit in the 2024 high school class, put his skills on display. The former Nokomis star drained 3-pointers, blocked shots and made slam dunks look easy.

All eyes were on Cooper Flagg at the Cooper and Ace Flagg Basketball ProCamp on Saturday at Memorial Gymnasium at the University of Maine in Orono. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

In 2-on-2 play, select campers got the chance to join forces with Ace to take on Cooper and a ProCamps staffer for two minutes at a time. The two players could see the faces on the youngsters light up, whether they were looking for a chance to cross over their opponents or lock them up on defense.

“I’m just out here making sure these kids have the best time they can,” said Ace Flagg, who will attend Greensboro Day School for his senior year this fall. “I remember when I was their age at camps like this, I was having a blast, so I just want to be able to do the same for these kids.”

Cooper Flagg wore a shirt bearing Ace Flagg’s name, while Ace wore a shirt wearing Cooper’s. At a basketball camp anywhere else in the country, that could have led to some confusion, but not in Maine, where both players have become icons for young players all across the state.

Members of the University of Maine men’s and women’s basketball team participated in the camps, as did some Maine high school boys’ coaches, including Josh Grant of Nokomis and Tom Nadeau of Skowhegan. It was a day, then, that brought those from all levels of basketball across the state together.

“It means a lot for both of us to be able to come back here and do something special,” Cooper Flagg said. “To be able to make them laugh, make them smile and give that little experience, it’s really cool, It’s good to be able to interact.”