Duke Coach Shares Key Update on Cooper Flagg Ahead of NCAA Tournament.
On Sunday, the Duke Blue Devils secured a No. 1 seed in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, but their March Madness prospects will rely heavily on the availability of Cooper Flagg.
The standout freshman earned the 2025 ACC Player of the Year title after leading Duke to a regular season ACC championship. Flagg led the team in key statistics per game: points (18.9), rebounds (7.5), assists (4.1), blocks (1.2), and steals (1.5).
However, Flagg suffered a concerning ankle injury during the ACC Tournament quarterfinal. He had to be wheeled off the court and missed the following two games as Duke secured the conference title without him, finalizing their No. 1 seed with a 31-3 overall record.
Duke’s first game is on Friday, just eight days after Flagg’s injury. They will play against either No. 16 American (22-12) or No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s (22-12), who will face off in the First Four on Wednesday.
As the first round approaches, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer provided a major update on Flagg’s status.
“Our goal is for Friday, no question about it,” Scheyer told ESPN’s Rece Davis after the bracket announcement on Sunday.
He emphasized that the next few days will be crucial for assessing Flagg, underscoring the importance of “being smart” and allowing him to practice before making a final decision.
Flagg, a projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, has his professional future to consider, which may influence Scheyer’s decisions, as some fans are advocating for a cautious return for Flagg.
Despite concerns over the injury, ESPN’s Basketball Power Index named Duke the top favorite for the NCAA championship. The Blue Devils showed they could win without Flagg, coming from behind to defeat Georgia Tech in the quarterfinals after his injury.
They then beat their archrivals North Carolina, who surprisingly made the NCAA Tournament, for a third time this season in the semifinals. Without Flagg, they went on to defeat second-seeded Louisville in the ACC Tournament final with a dominant 73-62 victory.
If Duke advances past the first round of the NCAA Tournament, they will face either No. 8 Mississippi State or No. 9 Baylor in Raleigh on Sunday.
Duke’s East Region also features No. 2 seed Alabama, No. 3 seed Wisconsin, and No. 4 seed Arizona, a setup that ESPN analyst Jay Bilas called a “fantastic” draw compared to other regions.