Duke says Cooper Flagg will play in NCAA Tournament after recent injury put him in wheelchair

Despite a gruesome wounded that required wheelchair assistance this week, Duke men's hoops prima Cooper Flagg volition play successful the NCAA Tournament, according to his team.

Duke and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) informed the NCAA Tournament enactment committee that Flagg volition beryllium disposable for the tournament, Dan Gavitt, NCAA elder vice president for basketball, said Saturday.

Gavitt made the comments connected CBS earlier Sunday’s announcement of the tract of 68. 

Flagg sprained his near ankle during Duke’s triumph against Georgia Tech Thursday successful the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament quarterfinals.

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Duke Blue Devils guardant Cooper Flagg was injured successful the archetypal fractional astatine Spectrum Center March 13, 2025. (Bob Donnan/Imagn Images)

It happened erstwhile Flagg jumped to get a rebound. As helium fell to the floor, helium landed connected his near ankle. He instantly crumpled to the floor. The 6-foot-9 freshman lingered connected the level for a fewer moments earlier being helped up by his teammates. Flagg past limped to the bench, intelligibly successful distress, earlier sitting down. 

After helium near the game, Flagg was enactment successful a wheelchair and taken to the locker room. 

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Duke Blue Devils guardant Cooper Flagg was injured successful the archetypal fractional astatine Spectrum Center March 13, 2025. (Bob Donnan/Imagn Images)

Despite the injury, Flagg returned from the locker country to the seat to cheer connected his teammates successful the 2nd half, but helium did not instrumentality the game. 

Duke manager Jon Scheyer said successful a postgame quality league determination was swelling successful the ankle.

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Duke Blue Devils guardant Cooper Flagg reacts arsenic helium heads to the seat during the 2nd fractional against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons astatine Cameron Indoor Stadium. (Rob Kinnan/Imagn Images)

Flagg, named ACC subordinate and newcomer of the twelvemonth by The Associated Press Tuesday, missed Friday’s semifinal triumph against rival North Carolina. Afterward, Scheyer ruled Flagg retired for Saturday night’s rubric crippled against No. 13 Louisville.

Flagg sat connected the seat successful achromatic warmups during the UNC game, lasting astatine the backmost of huddles with injured teammate Maliq Brown. Flagg walked without a large limp oregon protective footwear during Friday’s game.

Gavitt said Flagg’s presumption isn’t the lone wounded the committee is tracking done the play since subordinate availability tin origin into a team’s seeding.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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