On Sunday, the Duke Blue Devils earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, but the strength of their March Madness hopes will hinge on the availability of Cooper Flagg.
The standout freshman won the 2025 ACC Player of the Year award after leading Duke to a regular season ACC title. Flagg paced Duke in all major statistical categories on a per game basis: points (18.9), rebounds (7.5), assists (4.1), blocks (1.2) and steals (1.5).
However, Flagg sustained a scary ankle injury in the quarterfinal of the ACC Tournament. He left in a wheelchair and missed the next two games as Duke claimed the conference tournament crown without him and cemented its status as a No. 1 seed with a 31-3 overall record.
The Blue Devils’ first game will be on Friday, just eight days after Flagg injured his ankle. They will face either No. 16 American (22-12) or No. 16 Mount St Mary’s (22-12), who play in the First Four on Wednesday.
With the first round in sight, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer offered a major update on the status of his star player. “Our goal is for Friday, no question about it,” Scheyer told ESPN’s Rece Davis after the brackets were revealed on Sunday.
He added that the coming days will be critical for evaluating Flagg, stressing the need to “be smart” and get him back in practice before making a final decision.
The projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Flagg’s professional future is also a factor that Scheyer may have to consider, with some fans urging Duke to bring Flagg back slowly.
ESPN’s Basketball Power Index named Duke as the clear favorite for the NCAA championship despite the injury doubts. The Blue Devils proved they can win without Flagg as they rallied from behind to beat Georgia Tech in the quarterfinal after he got hurt.
They proceeded to take down North Carolina – their bitter rivals and a surprise NCAA Tournament inclusion – for a third time this season in the semifinal. Without Flagg, they went on to beat second-seeded Louisville in the ACC Tournament final by a convincing 73-62 scoreline.
If Duke makes it through the first round of the NCAA Tournament, it would match up with No. 8 Mississippi State or No. 9 Baylor in Raleigh on Sunday.
The Blue Devils’ East Region has Alabama as the No. 2 seed, Wisconsin as the No. 3 seed and Arizona as the No. 4 seed, which ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas described as a “fantastic” draw compared to the other regions.
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