The 2025 NBA Draft went down in style at Barclays Center, New York, on June 25. All eyes were on the No. 1 pick, and as expected, Cooper Flagg’s name was the first to be called. The Duke sensation and Montverde Academy product is already being called one of the best No. 1 picks of the decade. Landing with the Dallas Mavericks, Flagg joins a stacked frontcourt, and his all-around game defense, playmaking, athleticism had Jay Bilas comparing him to a “queen on a chessboard.”
But Flagg wasn’t the only Montverde star to shine. His high school teammates Derik Queen and Asa Newell also made first-round headlines. Queen, a physical forward out of Maryland, was selected 13th overall by the Pelicans.
Cooper Flagg
Cooper Flagg before the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center.
© Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Meanwhile, the Hawks snagged Newell at No. 23 after a draft-day trade with New Orleans. Newell, a big man from Georgia, called Montverde “The Factory,” saying, “It prepares NBA players.” All three were part of the Montverde squad that went 33-0 and won the 2024 high school national championship.
This incredible run from Montverde has fans hyped for what’s next.
“Montverde ain’t raising players, they dropping future All-Stars ð¤ð¥” one fan posted.
Another wrote, “Can’t wait to see The 'Montverde 4' play in da NBA!”
"Ready for it," a fan said.
"Let's go! This draft would make champions," one fan commented.
Add Liam McNeeley at No. 29 to the mix, and Montverde officially had four one-and-done first-rounders, a rare feat for any high school program. With Robert Wright projected as a 2026 first-rounder, the pipeline isn’t stopping anytime soon.
As the “Montverde 4” prepare for their NBA journeys, fans are buzzing and it looks like the future is loud and proud.