Is Cooper Flagg Out for March Madness? Latest on Duke Star’s Injury Status and Availability vs Mountaineers

Cooper Flagg is the best player on the Duke Blue Devils and the consensus pick to be the first selection in the 2025 NBA draft. He was expected to showcase his skills in the ACC Tournament before putting on a dominant showcase in March Madness.

However, Flagg suffered an ankle injury in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament against Georgia Tech on Mar. 13. Fortunately for Duke fans, reports indicate that Flagg is healthy and will return for the Blue Devils' first game of March Madness on Friday against the Mount St Mary's Mountaineers.

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What happened to Cooper Flagg?

Cooper Flagg suffered an ankle injury during Duke's ACC Tournament quarterfinal against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. He rolled his ankle in the first half of the game and did not return to the game. The Blue Devils were able to overcome a first-half lead by Georgia Tech to win the game 78-70.

Flagg then missed the next two games of the tournament. However, even without him, Duke beat UNC 74-71 in the semifinals and Louisville 73-62 in the finals to win the ACC Tournament.

The exact nature of Flagg's injury was not made public, but it was enough to keep him out of a few postseason games. Regardless, all indications point to him playing on Friday.

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Cooper Flagg injury status

Cooper Flagg was a full participant in practice for the first time since the injury on Wednesday. He spoke with the media on Thursday and told reporters that he expects no issues in taking the court for his first game of the NCAA Tournament.

"We've been working through the steps of just getting back to 100 percent, and I feel very good," Flagg said Thursday. "I'm very confident moving forward."

Flagg went on to say that he has dealt with minor ankle injuries in the past, but he immediately knew that this one was more severe. After the game against Georgia Tech, he needed to get an MRI and X-rays. Fortunately, they did not show any significant damage. He told reporters that he now feels 100%.

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When will Cooper Flagg return?

Flagg is expected to make his full return to the lineup when the No. 1-ranked Duke Blue Devils take on the No. 16-ranked Mount St Mary's Mountaineers. The game is scheduled to take place on Friday at 2:50 p.m. ET.