Cooper Flagg, Derik Queen and other Montverde Academy stars' NBA path

Of the 24 players mingling successful the NBA draft's exclusive greenish country astatine the Barclays Center connected Wednesday night, 4 had nary occupation making friends.

Cooper Flagg, Derik Queen, Asa Newell and Liam McNeeley were each smiles, greeting each different with customized handshakes nary uncertainty originating from their precocious schoolhouse playing days astatine Montverde (Florida) Academy.

The foursome made past successful 2024, capping disconnected a imagination play with a Chipotle Nationals title.

Those Montverde Eagles finished 33-0, steamrolling teams by an mean of 34 points a game, firmly entrenching their lasting successful the "greatest precocious schoolhouse hoops squad ever assembled" conversation.

Liam McNeeley got affectional erstwhile talking astir his erstwhile Montverde teammates getting drafted ❤️ @SCNext pic.twitter.com/y7JxQftq1v

Former Montverde manager Kevin Boyle, present the caput manager astatine SPIRE (Ohio) Academy, came to Brooklyn to enactment his erstwhile stars and said their trajectory to achieving their dreams was a testament to their unselfishness.

This marks the 2nd clip Boyle's Montverde teams person had 4 players from the aforesaid squad selected successful the archetypal round.

Cade Cunningham (No. 1 to the Detroit Pistons), Scottie Barnes (No. 4 to the Toronto Raptors), Moses Moody (No. 14 to the Golden State Warriors) and Day'Ron Sharpe (No. 29 to the Brooklyn Nets) were the archetypal foursome to execute the feat for Montverde successful 2021.

"A batch of radical propulsion astir 'unselfish,' but these guys truly sacrificed numbers and accolades to win," Boyle said. "There was ne'er complaining oregon pushback, and they could've legitimately done that based connected who they are. That acceptable a code for them due to the fact that it identified them arsenic bully squad and bully civilization guys who are each astir winning.

"I person a estimation for being truly pugnacious connected players, but the world was that I was ne'er pugnacious connected these guys. I didn't person to be. I was firm, but they ever went supra and beyond moving and focusing."

Here's a look astatine the Montverde foursome selected successful the archetypal circular of the 2025 NBA draft.

Cooper Flagg

Drafted: No. 1 to the Dallas Mavericks

Before helium took the assemblage hoops satellite by storm, winning National Player of the Year and starring the Duke Blue Devils to the Final Four, Flagg averaged 13.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.6 steals and 2.5 blocks a crippled successful 2 seasons astatine Montverde.

Derik Queen

Drafted: No. 13 to the New Orleans Pelicans

Before helium dominated the overgarment with the Maryland Terrapins, winning Big Ten Freshman of the Year and starring the Terps to the Sweet 16, Queen owned the station for the Eagles, pumping retired 14.4 points (66% from the field) and 7.1 rebounds a crippled successful his last 2 seasons astatine Montverde.

Asa Newell

Drafted: No. 23 to the Atlanta Hawks

Newell was a matchup nightmare connected some ends of the level for the Eagles, averaging 9.1 points and 4.8 rebounds successful 2 seasons astatine Montverde. He utilized his size and versatility to predominate the contention for the Georgia Bulldogs and snag a spot connected the SEC All-Freshman Team.

Liam McNeeley

Drafted: No. 29 to the Charlotte Hornets

McNeeley was a marksman for the Eagles, draining 44% of his 3-pointers and averaging 12.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists a crippled successful 2 seasons astatine Montverde. He enactment up large numbers for the UConn Huskies en way to claiming Big East Freshman of the Year.