RALEIGH, N.C. — Cooper Flagg has long fantasized about participating in the March Madness tournament, having spent many years watching it unfold. Despite a sprained ankle sustained last week, Duke’s freshman standout was not about to put off his dream.
“This is something I’ve dreamed about since I was 6 or 7, watching every single year with my family and friends,” Flagg remarked. As a result, there was no way he was going to miss the top-seeded Blue Devils’ first-round game against 16-seed Mount St. Mary’s on Friday, unless he was in a cast, on crutches, or completely unable to stand on his injured left ankle. Despite having missed the previous two games due to the injury from the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament, Flagg appeared at ease and untroubled during his NCAA Tournament debut.
Flagg scored 14 points, gathered seven rebounds, delivered four assists, and blocked two shots in 22 minutes, finishing with a team-leading plus-31 efficiency rating. He exited the game early as the victory was secure.
“After watching the whole ACC Tournament, it was just a plan to be ready for this game,” Flagg explained. “We set up phases, a strategy for getting back, prepared, and ready.”
Standing at 6-foot-9, Flagg is considered a potential No. 1 pick in the NBA draft and unanimously earned a spot as an Associated Press first-team All-American. At just 18, his all-around skills make him a significant threat both as a scorer and playmaker. If the Blue Devils are to pursue their sixth national championship successfully, Flagg’s contributions will be essential.
The Blue Devils, while anticipated to achieve a blowout against their opponent, had significant expectations on Flagg’s court performance. Duke fans greeted him with enthusiastic cheers and the chant of “Cooooooooop!” when introduced.
Flagg’s first basket came from a pass by Tyrese Proctor, leading to a drive with a bank shot while fouled by Xavier Lipscomb, causing him to land flat on his back. Celebrating with clenched fists and lightly flexed arms, Flagg acknowledged the physicality of the contest early in the game.
Later, Flagg executed a backdoor cut to receive a feed from Patrick Ngongba for a dunk. “I thought he looked pretty good,” noted his freshman teammate, Kon Knueppel. “He was sharp.”
Every move Flagg made was closely monitored by home-state fans, teammates, and coach Jon Scheyer. “The main thing for me was ensuring he wasn’t pacing himself and that he was moving properly without favoring one leg over the other,” Scheyer said.
Flagg exited the game for the final time with 10:53 remaining, as Duke held a 32-point lead. He then spent the closing minutes cheering enthusiastically from the sidelines. “We were ready for him to play more,” Scheyer explained. “But the way it worked out was quite beneficial.”
Flagg’s injury occurred when he rolled his ankle after his foot collided with that of a Georgia Tech player during the ACC quarterfinals. Following this, Flagg spent time on the bench alongside Maliq Brown, who sustained a shoulder injury shortly before Flagg’s mishap. Despite these setbacks, Flagg was healthy enough to celebrate by cutting down a piece of the net after Duke’s championship win last weekend.
Coach Scheyer detailed that Flagg used an underwater treadmill for rehabilitation in the days following the injury. Flagg, having worked up to full practice by Wednesday, asserted he was prepared to play on Friday. “I had no doubts about my ankle,” Flagg said. “But I definitely had some jitters. This is something I’ve dreamed about since I was a little kid.”