Bob Donnan - Imagn Images
The Duke Blue Devils have been back at the top of the college basketball world all year. And, they’ve been led there by superstar freshman and likely first-overall NBA Draft pick Cooper Flagg.
Flagg has been absolutely dominant this year in nearly every facet of the game as Duke has been phenomenal on both ends. But, Flagg sprained his ankle in the team’s ACC Quarterfinal win over Georgia Tech and missed the rest of the ACC Tournament. On Sunday, after Duke was named a number-one seed in the East Region, Duke Head Coach Jon Scheyer spoke out about Cooper Flagg’s status.
Flagg, the top-overall recruit in the country, actually re-classified from the c/o 2024 to the c/o 2025 and has starred for Duke at just 18, even playing the beginning of the season at 17. The 6-foot-10 wing/forward can do it all and is averaging 18.9 points, 7.5 reboudns, and 4.1 assists while being one of the very best defensive players in the country. He’s widely expected to be the top-overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. That is, if he declares.
Duke has been one of the nation’s top teams all year, and were expected to cruise through the ACC Tournament. While they did win the tournament, which included a dramatic win over rival North Carolina, they lost Cooper to this ankle injury on Thursday. Take a look.
Cooper Flagg exited the game and was helped to the locker room after appearing to injure his left ankle in the first half against Georgia Tech. pic.twitter.com/EiUslVt0ZM
— ESPN (@espn) March 13, 2025
Flagg didn’t return for the rest of the ACC Tournament. They were fine without him, but that won’t be the case in the NCAA Tournament.
On Sunday, Jon SCheyer appeared on ESPN and talked about his status. Take a look.
Duke coach Jon Scheyer tells @ReceDavis of Cooper Flagg’s return: “Our goal is for Friday.” pic.twitter.com/UHa2hJrdaP
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) March 16, 2025
Scheyer says that the hope is for Flagg to do on-court work on Monday and for him to be ready for Friday’s game. They will take on the winner of American and Mount St. Mary’s, who play in the First Four on Wednesday. Duke definitely doesn’t need him back for that game, and probably not for their round of 32 game against the winner of Mississippi State and Baylor. But, as they move deeper into the tournament, he’s got to be playing at full strength as they look to win their first national title in a decade.