Cooper Flagg plays through eye injury in Duke's win over Florida State

Duke Blue Devils men’s hoops prima Cooper Flagg battled done an oculus wounded to pb the No. 2 squad successful the federation to a 35-point triumph implicit Florida State connected Saturday night.

Flagg was poked successful the oculus successful the archetypal fractional amid a hard foul. He sat retired for astir 11 minutes but returned to commencement the 2nd fractional and finished with 16 points in the 100-65 victory.

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Duke's Cooper Flagg reacts connected the seat aft being accidentally deed successful the look during the archetypal fractional of an NCAA assemblage hoops crippled against Florida State successful Durham, N.C., connected Saturday, March 1, 2025.  (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)

"He was bushed up and scratched up," Flagg’s teammate Sion James said. "Cooper is 1 of the toughest guys I’ve ever played with. I trusted that if helium was each right, he’d beryllium back. He was backmost and amended than ever."

Duke caput manager Jon Scheyer described the wounded arsenic a bruised eyelid.

"As a hoops player, you don’t deliberation astir injuring your eye," Scheyer said. "That doesn’t transverse your mind. I had ne'er seen him look scared. I thought helium was frightened astatine first, rightfully so, due to the fact that you don’t cognize however superior oregon permanent. . . . I was truly tense astir him."

Duke's Cooper Flagg (2) and Florida State's Bostyn Holt, right, conflict for the shot during the 2nd fractional of an NCAA assemblage hoops crippled successful Durham, N.C., Saturday, March 1, 2025.  (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)

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Scheyer added that Flagg had immoderate "vision issues," which prolonged his instrumentality to the floor. Flagg wasn’t made disposable to talk to reporters aft the game.

The Duke prima is wide considered to beryllium the favourite arsenic the apical prime successful the 2025 NBA Draft. He’s averaging 19.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per crippled this season.

Duke's Cooper Flagg (2) reacts up of Florida State's Christian Nitu (11) aft blocking Nitu's changeable successful the 2nd fractional of an NCAA assemblage hoops crippled successful Durham, N.C., Saturday, March 1, 2025.  (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)

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The Blue Devils person 2 games near connected their regular-season schedule. They volition play Wake Forest connected Monday and caput to North Carolina connected Saturday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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