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Cooper Flagg injury update: Pete Thamel offers latest on Duke star, availability for NCAA Tournament

IMG_6598by:Nick Kosko•03/15/25•

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Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Cooper Flagg was already ruled out for the ACC Championship Game as the Duke freshman recovers from a left ankle sprain. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Flagg could be in jeopardy of missing the first round game of the NCAA Tournament.

Nothing is set in stone, but it’s all about how Flagg recovers and rests during this time. With Selection Sunday a day away, Duke will know its fate in a little more than 24 hours.

Likely a No. 1 seed, Flagg is one of the biggest pieces to the Blue Devils making a run for a national title. Rest right now is paramount.

“We’re now at day three of the Cooper Flagg left ankle watch,” Thamel said on College GameDay. “In the big picture, prognosis is, we’ll see. I mean, it’s a left ankle sprain, right? You can’t overthink it. Rest is obviously the most important thing. Jon Scheyer has told us Rece, there’s no structural damage there, and he said that Cooper Flagg is doing better. 

“I think the conversation quickly shifts now to will Cooper Flagg play in the first round of the NCAA Tournament? Obviously Duke (is going to be a) one seed. They’re going to play a number 16 seed, and it’s just gonna be a matter of rest and recovery for Cooper Flagg.”

It’s a significant loss for the Blue Devils. Flagg is averaging 19.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game this season while shooting 49.4% from the field and 37.7% from beyond the arc.

In the midst of a legendary debut campaign, Flagg is a frontrunner for the National Player of the Year Award. After Duke’s 82-69 win over North Carolina in its regular-season finale, Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer weighed in on the race for the coveted award.

“Look, I mean, for me, it’s Cooper,” Scheyer said last Saturday. “That’s not knocking anybody — I mean, we played [Auburn star Johni] Broome, he’s a great player — but Cooper, the way he impacts every aspect of the game, I don’t think we’ve seen in college for a long time.

“He impacts it in every way, and tonight’s a good example… But again, that’s not what Cooper plays for. That’s not what we play for. But obviously, recognition you always appreciate and is good. But we’ll keep control of what we can. That’s the best we can do.”