Of the 24 players mingling in the NBA draft’s exclusive green room at the Barclays Center on Wednesday night, four had no problem making friends.
Cooper Flagg, Derik Queen, Asa Newell and Liam McNeeley were all smiles, greeting each other with customized handshakes no doubt originating from their high school playing days at Montverde (Florida) Academy.
The foursome made history in 2024, capping off a dream season with a Chipotle Nationals title.
Those Montverde Eagles finished 33-0, steamrolling teams by an average of 34 points a game, firmly entrenching their standing in the “greatest high school basketball team ever assembled” conversation.
Liam McNeeley got emotional when talking about his former Montverde teammates getting drafted ❤️ @SCNext pic.twitter.com/y7JxQftq1v
— ESPN (@espn) June 26, 2025
Former Montverde coach Kevin Boyle, now the head coach at SPIRE (Ohio) Academy, came to Brooklyn to support his former stars and said their trajectory to achieving their dreams was a testament to their unselfishness.
This marks the second time Boyle’s Montverde teams have had four players from the same squad selected in the first 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 first foursome to achieve the feat for Montverde in 2021.
“A lot of people throw around ‘unselfish,’ but these guys really sacrificed numbers and accolades to win,” Boyle said. “There was never complaining or pushback, and they could’ve legitimately done that based on who they are. That set a tone for them because it identified them as good team and good culture guys who are all about winning.
“I have a reputation for being really tough on players, but the reality was that I was never tough on these guys. I didn’t have to be. I was firm, but they always went above and beyond working and focusing.”
Here’s a look at the Montverde foursome selected in the first round of the 2025 NBA draft.
Cooper Flagg
Drafted: No. 1 to the Dallas Mavericks
Before he took the college basketball world by storm, winning National Player of the Year and leading 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 game in two seasons at Montverde.
Derik Queen
Drafted: No. 13 to the New Orleans Pelicans
Before he dominated the paint with the Maryland Terrapins, winning Big Ten Freshman of the Year and leading the Terps to the Sweet 16, Queen owned the post for the Eagles, pumping out 14.4 points (66% from the field) and 7.1 rebounds a game in his final two seasons at Montverde.
Asa Newell
Drafted: No. 23 to the Atlanta Hawks
Newell was a matchup nightmare on both ends of the floor for the Eagles, averaging 9.1 points and 4.8 rebounds in two seasons at Montverde. He used his size and versatility to dominate the competition for the Georgia Bulldogs and snag a spot on 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 game in two seasons at Montverde. He put up big numbers for the UConn Huskies en route to claiming Big East Freshman of the Year.