Duke standout Cooper Flagg missed several games in the ACC tournament due to an ankle sprain, but it seems likely that he will return for March Madness. Flagg sustained the injury during the ACC quarterfinals on Thursday, causing him to miss Duke’s close victory over North Carolina on Friday and the ACC tournament final win over Louisville on Saturday. Despite concerns that the potential No. 1 NBA Draft pick might not recover in time for the NCAA tournament, it now appears that Flagg could make a quicker return than anticipated.
During a break in the Big Ten tournament, NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt confirmed on CBS that Duke has informed the NCAA of Flagg’s expected availability for the NCAA tournament, which should not affect the team’s seeding. Although Gavitt mentioned that the NCAA is monitoring other injuries, he did not specify the players or teams involved. He emphasized the importance of player availability in determining tournament seeding but indicated that Flagg’s injury is not expected to impact Duke’s seeding.
After exiting Thursday’s game with assistance, there were concerns about Flagg’s health, especially since he had to be taken for further evaluation in a wheelchair. However, X-rays revealed no significant damage, providing some relief that the injury was not as severe as initially feared. Meanwhile, Duke is also missing Maliq Brown, who sat out Friday and Saturday’s games due to a shoulder injury, with uncertainty about his readiness for the NCAA tournament.
Despite Flagg and Brown’s absence, Duke managed to secure a narrow victory on Friday following a strong performance by freshmen Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach. Knueppel led the team in scoring with 17 points, while Maluach contributed 13 points and nine rebounds. In the ACC final against Louisville, Knueppel and Tyrese Proctor led a crucial second-half surge that propelled the Blue Devils to victory.
Overall, with assurances of Flagg’s potential return and the contributions of other players stepping up in his absence, Duke remains optimistic about their prospects in the upcoming NCAA tournament.
