Cooper Flagg injury update: NCAA insider Pete Thamel gives Duke star’s availability status

Will Cooper Flagg make his NCAA Tournament debut on Friday? College basketball insider Pete Thamel shared a promising injury update regarding the condition of the Duke star on Thursday ahead of the Blue Devils' first-round showdown with the 16th-seeded Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers.

Thamel shared a report from ESPN colleague David Hale about Flagg's availability status on X (formerly Twitter), providing news that the freshman forward is trending in the right direction toward a return from his ankle injury.

"Our @ADavidHaleJoint with a vital Cooper Flagg update. Flagg has '100 percent full mobility' and returned to full practice on Wednesday," Thamel wrote.

That is great news for Duke fans, who last saw Cooper Flagg in action against Georgia Tech on March 13. Flagg exited that contest early after rolling his left ankle following a rebounding sequence in the first half. He landed on Baye Ndongo's foot as he grabbed a defensive board, causing him to fall on the court in pain.

Duke coach Jon Scheyer eased fans' concerns later, saying that Flagg's X-rays came back negative and no fractures were found. He ruled out Flagg, though, from participating in Duke's remaining ACC Tournament games, saying that the priority was to get him ready for the Blue Devils' NCAA Tournament campaign.

How Duke fared without Cooper Flagg in the ACC Tournament

The Duke Blue Devils showed their depth in the wake of Cooper Flagg's ankle injury, beating Georgia Tech, North Carolina and Louisville to win their 23rd ACC Tournament title.

Duke Blue Devils guard Cooper Flagg is on the floor after suffering an ankle injury in the first half of their ACC Tournament game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Photo: Getty

Duke rallied against Georgia Tech in the quarterfinals, with the Blue Devils outscoring the Yellow Jackets 52-39 in the second half to pull off a 78-70 win. Kon Knueppel stepped up in Flagg's absence, scoring a game-high 28 points on 7-of-14 shooting. He made a living at the charity stripe, knocking down 12 of his 13 free-throw attempts.

Duke sustained the momentum of that huge win when it took on archrival North Carolina the following day. The Blue Devils got off to an excellent start, building a 45-24 advantage against the Tar Heels even without Flagg in their lineup. North Carolina battled back, however, cutting Duke's lead to one point in the final minute. The Blue Devils held on, though, for a 74-71 win.

Duke faced Louisville in the championship game, with the Blue Devils recording a 73-62 win. Tyrese Proctor led Duke's offense in the finals with 19 points.