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Duke Announces Cooper Flagg's Status for First Round of NCAA Tournament
Cooper Flagg will be back in uniform this week.
On Thursday, Duke announced its star freshman forward will be active when the team opens its run in the NCAA tournament on Friday.
Flagg suffered an ugly ankle injury during Duke's first game in the ACC tournament. The Blue Devils won the ACC tourney crown without him, but having Flagg back in the lineup is a huge boon for the team’s chances at a national championship. On Sunday, after Duke earned a No. 1 seed in the tournament, head coach Jon Scheyer laid out an aggressive plan for Flagg to return for his team's opening game of the big dance.
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A unanimous All-American, Flagg is also the odds-on favorite to win national player of the year. In 32 games this season, he is averaging 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks in 30.4 minutes per contest. He is widely expected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft if he opts to jump to the next level.
The Blue Devils are the No. 1 seed in the East region and are set to face No. 16 Mount St. Mary's. The game tips off at 2:50 p.m. ET in Raleigh, NC.
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Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.