Duke star Cooper Flagg will be suiting up for the Blue Devils’ NCAA Tournament opener against Mount St. Mary’s on Friday.
On Thursday, the team announced that the projected No. 1 draft pick would play in the first round after suffering an ankle injury in the ACC tournament against Georgia Tech.
Flagg will return on the big stage after missing conference semifinals and finals for the Blue Devils. Nonetheless, Duke defeated North Carolina and Louisville without Flagg to secure their 23rd ACC title.
Flagg’s injury came while grabbing a rebound in Duke’s 78-70 win over the Yellow Jackets.
Following the game, Duke coach Jon Scheyer stated how he did not want to risk Flagg’s health for the ACC tournament. After rallying through the conference, the Blue Devils secured a first seed and the No 2 overall seed in the tournament.
Flagg’s return comes as no surprise as NCAA executive Dan Gavitt foreshadowed his availability before Selection Sunday. In an interview, Gavitt said that the NCAA had been in touch with Duke and the team expected Flagg to play.
The NCAA’s selection committee considers injuries when seeding the tournament. However, it is hard to tell if Duke would have dropped without Flagg following their ACC tournament triumph.
The Newport, Maine native has been an All-American performer throughout his freshman campaign. Flagg averaged 19 points and 7.5 rebounds, leading the Blue Devils in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks per game.
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Cooper Flagg will play in Duke’s first-round matchup against Mount St. Mary’s on Friday
