BREAKING: Duke Announces Cooper Flagg Big News Before First Round NCAA Tournament Game
Top-seeded Duke has been in top form since December, and with their first-round game approaching, excitement is building for the likely return of freshman standout Cooper Flagg. Flagg has been sidelined for the last two games due to a sprained ankle sustained against Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals. Duke will face the winner of Wednesday night’s First Four matchup between Mount St. Mary’s and American, but their game isn’t until Friday.
Ahead of the tournament, Duke shared a rare update on Flagg, whose freshman season has been exceptional. The Newport, Maine, native has been named a consensus first-team All-American by four major outlets: the NABC, Sporting News, the Associated Press, and the United States Basketball Writers Association. Duke celebrated the announcement with a post reading, “officially official,” alongside an American flag emoji.
Flagg enters the tournament averaging 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.3 blocks, leading Duke in nearly every statistical category, including minutes played. With the Blue Devils currently the betting favorite to win the NCAA Tournament, according to DraftKings Sportsbook, and Flagg favored for National Player of the Year, the pressure is on for Duke to meet sky-high expectations—a Final Four run at minimum, and ideally, a national title. However, Flagg’s health could be the key to their success in March and early April.
officially official 🇺🇸 @Cooper_Flagg 💪 pic.twitter.com/RUV5maKjjk
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) March 19, 2025
Optimism is high in Durham, especially from head coach Jon Scheyer, who said earlier this week that Flagg is expected to play on Friday. “From my perspective, it’s full steam ahead,” Scheyer said. “I want to get Coop back as quickly as we can, and he wants the same.” He added that the plan is for Flagg to begin on-court work soon, gradually increasing his workload to full practice later in the week. “Our goal is Friday—no question about it,” Scheyer emphasized. “We’ll be smart about it, but we’re aiming to have him ready to go.”