No. 1-ranked Duke will get back standout freshman forward — and the potential No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft — Cooper Flagg for next week’s NCAA Tournament.
Duke and the Atlantic Coast Conference have informed the NCAA Tournament selection committee that Flagg will be available for March Madness, NCAA senior vice president for basketball Dan Gavitt said Saturday.
Flagg was helped off the floor in the first half of Duke’s ACC Tournament quarterfinal tilt against Georgia Tech on Thursday with a left ankle injury. He was ruled “doubtful to return” and ultimately never did. After the game, head coach Jon Scheyer said that Flagg suffered a sprained ankle, but that X-rays were negative. Flagg returned to the bench early in the second half of that game, walking under his own power and without wearing a boot on his foot.
The top-ranked Blue Devils were trailing 26-17 late in the first half when Flagg went up for a rebound and crashed to the floor after he appeared to have his left foot land on the foot of Georgia Tech’s Baye Ndongo. He hobbled back to the bench in clear distress, then bent over with his hands on the seats and pounded a chair with his right fist. After sitting on the bench for a few minutes, Flagg got up and put his arms around two teammates and was taken to the locker room for observation. He was later shown in a wheelchair in the bowels of the Spectrum Center.
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The Blue Devils went on to win without Flagg, 78-70, to advance to the semifinal round.
Flagg, the 2024-25 ACC Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, entered Thursday averaging 19.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game this season, while shooting 49.4/37.7/83.0.
Duke won the ACC regular-season title with a 19-1 conference record and 28-3 overall mark.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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