NCAA Exec Seemingly Reveals Cooper Flagg's Expected Injury Status for March Madness

The Duke star has been sidelined with an ankle injury since Thursday night.

Duke forward Cooper Flagg sits on the bench during the Blue Devils' 74–71 win over Georgia Tech on Thursday. / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

It appears Duke Blue Devils freshman phenom Cooper Flagg likely will play in the NCAA tournament.

Speaking on ESPN during a segment Saturday, NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt shared what he's hearing about Flagg's status from members of the Duke program.

"What we understand from communication with Duke and the ACC, Cooper Flagg will be available for the NCAA tournament," Gavitt said. "So don't expect that to impact their seeding."

"What we understand from communication with Duke and the ACC, Cooper Flagg will be available for the NCAA Tournament. So don't expect that to impact their seeding." - NCAA Senior VP of Basketball Dan Gavitt #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/7lgcrZKISu

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 15, 2025

Flagg has been sidelined since he suffered a sprained ankle during Duke's 78–70 win over Georgia Tech on Thursday. Flagg sat out the Blue Devils' dramatic 74–71 win over rival North Carolina on Friday night, and he is unlikely to play in the ACC tournament championship game against Louisville on Saturday.

Duke, ranked No. 1 in the latest AP top-25 poll, is one of the favorites to claim the NCAA tournament's No. 1 overall seed.

Gavitt went on to say that injuries and player availability are considered by the 12-person committee that decides the NCAA tournament seeding. But it appears Duke won't have to worry about that if that committee expects Flagg to suit up and try to lead the Blue Devils to their first national championship since 2015.

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