BREAKING: Duke Gets More Injury News After Cooper Flagg Update
The Duke Blue Devils, as the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, will face No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s in the first round on Friday. There had been concerns about the availability of star player Cooper Flagg, who injured his ankle in the ACC tournament against Georgia Tech. However, Duke confirmed that Flagg will be active for the game, which is a relief for the Blue Devils. Flagg missed the ACC tournament games against North Carolina and Louisville, but Duke still managed to win the title. Duke also played without Maliq Brown, who sustained a shoulder injury during the Georgia Tech game and was hospitalized.
Ahead of Thursday’s practice, Duke coach Jon Scheyer did not provide detailed information about Brown’s status, though he appeared less optimistic about Brown’s availability, according to Dan Wolken of USA Today. Brown was seen on the court with the team and, notably, was not wearing a sling on his shoulder. However, he did not participate in the team’s stretching session, leaving uncertainty about his playing status for Friday.
Maliq Brown is watching practice from the sidelines here in Raleigh #Duke pic.twitter.com/TfDLyzArj8
— Chanel Porter (@chanelcporter) March 20, 2025
Brown, who transferred from Syracuse, is averaging 2.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game in just under 17 minutes per contest. Though not a starter, he has played a significant role when healthy. Duke’s matchup against Mount St. Mary’s is set for 2:50 p.m. ET, and Brown’s final status will be something to monitor.