Duke's Cooper Flagg set to play in first round of NCAA Tournament

The No. 1-seeded Duke Blue Devils are getting their prima backmost connected the tribunal for the commencement of the NCAA Tournament. 

Cooper Flagg has nary wounded designation and volition beryllium progressive for Duke against No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s astatine the Lenovo Center successful Raleigh, North Carolina, connected Friday. 

Flagg, the projected No. 1 prime of the 2025 NBA Draft, has been retired for the Blue Devils since the ACC quarterfinals, wherever helium suffered an ankle wounded against Georgia Tech. 

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Duke Blue Devils guardant Cooper Flagg walks to the seat during the archetypal fractional against the North Carolina Tar Heels astatine Spectrum Center. (Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images)

But Flagg tells The New York Post connected Thursday that he’s "really assured astir going 100%" successful the archetypal circular of the NCAA Tournament. 

"I had an MRI, X-Ray, some of those looked truly good. So, from past it was conscionable moving on, pain-tolerance benignant of things, conscionable getting the betterment and attraction that I needed."

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Flagg added that helium was gathering up his ankle again by "jumping backmost into practice," arsenic good arsenic idiosyncratic workouts connected the side. He had a afloat signifier connected Wednesday, which yet confirmed he’s acceptable to go. 

This is wherever the wounded was trending for Flagg, but erstwhile it initially happened, Blue Devils fans were holding their corporate breath, arsenic their nationalist rubric hopes would’ve taken a large interaction if helium couldn’t play successful the tournament. 

Duke Blue Devils guardant Cooper Flagg reacts successful the 2nd fractional astatine Dean E. Smith Center. (Bob Donnan-Imagn Images)

However, Duke was inactive capable to triumph the ACC Tournament, which included the lack of starting guardant Maliq Brown, who is inactive dealing with a dislocated shoulder. 

Head manager Jon Scheyer besides noted that Flagg wanted to play successful the ACC rubric game, but Duke decided to clasp him out. Now that he’s seen his prima pupil successful practice, Scheyer explained that his instrumentality to play was "about him being capable to determination properly."

"He wasn’t going to play if helium was compensating,’’ Scheyer explained connected Thursday, per The Post. "Look, nary substance what (with) an ankle sprain… to accidental he’s 100% tomorrow, helium has to enactment done that a small spot still. But he’s not compensating.

"We built him up dilatory and truly progressed him the close way, but he’s acceptable to go."

Duke Blue Devils defender Cooper Flagg earlier the crippled against the Syracuse Orange astatine the JMA Wireless Dome. (Rich Barnes-Imagn Images)

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Flagg was a statement All-American during the 2024-25 campaign, arsenic good arsenic the existent favourite to triumph Player of the Year aft averaging 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game. 

Flagg is the squad person successful each 1 of those categories. 

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