Duke star Cooper Flagg has a smooth March Madness debut in his return from an ankle injury

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Cooper Flagg had long watched March Madness and imagined being a part of it.

A sprained ankle suffered last week wasn't about to delay that dream for Duke's freshman star.

“I mean, this is something that I've dreamed about since I was 6, 7 years old, watching every single year with my family, my friends,” Flagg said.

In other words, there was no way he was going to sit out the top-seeded Blue Devils' first-round romp against 16-seed Mount St. Mary's on Friday, short of being on crutches, in a cast or unable to even stand on that left ankle. He had missed the past two games with the injury suffered during the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament but looked comfortable and unbothered in his NCAA Tournament debut.

Flagg finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks in 22 minutes of work, finishing a team-best plus-31 before getting an early end to the workday with victory in hand.

“Honestly for me, after watching the whole ACC Tournament, it was more of just like a plan to just be ready for this game, and we just put a plan in place,” Flagg said. “We have phases, a strategy of just getting back, getting prepared, and being ready.”

The 6-foot-9 Flagg is a potential No. 1 overall NBA draft pick and was selected unanimously as an Associated Press first-team All-American, blessed with an all-around game that can make him a game-changing threat as a scorer and playmaker.

All at the age of 18.

And the Blue Devils need him if they want to make good on a seasonlong quest to win their sixth national championship. So even though the Blue Devils were likely set for a blowout against an overmatched foe, there was still a lot riding on what Flagg could do on the court.

The good news for Duke was that Flagg — greeted by loud cheers and a call of “Cooooooooop!” during introductions — provided quick answers.

His first basket came when he took a feed from Tyrese Proctor and banked it in on a drive while being fouled by Xavier Lipscomb, sending Flagg to the floor flat on his back. He landed with his fists clenched and his arms in a light flex that has become a go-to celebration move, then nodded as though getting the contact had welcomed him to the fight less than two minutes into the game.

Minutes later, he made a backdoor cut to take Patrick Ngongba’s feed for a dunk.

“I though he looked pretty good,” freshman teammate Kon Knueppel said. “He was sharp.”

Flagg's every move was watched closely by home-state fans, his teammates and coach Jon Scheyer.

“The biggest thing for me was him not pacing, I didn't want him to pace,” Scheyer said. “Then obviously making sure he was moving, where he wasn't off-balance of favoring one leg or the other.”

Flagg checked out for the final time at the 10:53 mark with Duke up 32, then spent the final minutes hopping around, laughing and cheering on the reserves getting mop-up duty to close this one out.

“We were ready for him to play more,” Scheyer said. “But I think the way it worked out obviously was really good.”

Flagg got hurt when he rolled his ankle after having his foot clip the foot of a Georgia Tech player as he came down for a rebound in the ACC quarterfinals last Thursday. Flagg watched from the bench the rest of the tournament alongside versatile defender Maliq Brown, who went down with a shoulder injury moments before Flagg's injury.

Still, Flagg was healthy enough to climb the ladder and snip a piece of net after Duke's title win last weekend.

Scheyer said Flagg had spent time in a swimming pool using an underwater treadmill in the days after the injury. Flagg had said Thursday he was ready to go after building up more activity, which included returning to full practice Wednesday.

That's why Flagg's anxiousness Friday had nothing to do with his ankle.

“I didn't have any doubts in my ankle at all,” he said. “But I definitely had some jitters. Like I said, this is something I've dreamed about since I was a little kid.”

___

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.

Topics

Duke star Cooper Flagg has a smooth March Madness debut in his return from an ankle injury

Duke freshman star Cooper Flagg looked comfortable and unbothered in his NCAA Tournament debut as he returned from a sprained ankle
ABC News - 6h
Cooper Flagg injury status: Is Duke star playing in March Madness opener?

Cooper Flagg, who sprained his ankle a week ago in the ACC tournament, is available against Mount Saint Mary's in Duke's NCAA Tournament opener.
Yahoo Sports - 1d
Cooper Flagg injury update: Will Duke basketball star play in March Madness?

Will Duke basketball's Cooper Flagg play in March Madness? Here's the latest injury updates and status for the Blue Devils' star freshman:
Yahoo Sports - 4d
NCAA says Duke's Cooper Flagg is expected to be available for March Madness

Flagg has missed multiple games in the ACC tournament with an ankle sprain.
Yahoo Sports - 6d
Cooper Flagg injury: Duke star freshman cleared to return in 2025 NCAA Tournament opener on Friday

Flagg missed two games with an ankle injury suffered in the ACC Tournament
CBS Sports - 1d
Expected Mega-Star Of March Madness Goes Down With 'Unfortunate' Injury

Duke freshman Cooper Flagg, expected to be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft if he enters, severely rolled his ankle.
Yahoo Sports - Mar. 14
Freshman star Cooper Flagg is ready to go for No. 1 seed Duke in NCAA's East Region bracket

Duke freshman star Cooper Flagg says he’ll be ready to play fully in Thursday’s NCAA Tournament opener against Mount St. Mary’s as he recovers from a sprained ankle
ABC News - 1d
Flagg 'long shot' for ACC semis after ankle injury

Duke freshman phenom Cooper Flagg is a "real long shot" to play in the ACC tournament semifinals after suffering a sprained left ankle, coach Jon Scheyer said.
ESPN - Mar. 14
Cooper Flagg's grandma wore amazing custom sweater with his face on it for March Madness

Duke men's basketball star Cooper Flagg will return after suffering an injury during the ACC tournament, and he will have several fans supporting him.
Yahoo Sports - 12h

Duke star Cooper Flagg has a smooth March Madness debut in his return from an ankle injury

Topics

Related

Duke star Cooper Flagg has a smooth March Madness debut in his return from an ankle injury

Cooper Flagg injury status: Is Duke star playing in March Madness opener?

Cooper Flagg injury update: Will Duke basketball star play in March Madness?

NCAA says Duke's Cooper Flagg is expected to be available for March Madness

Cooper Flagg injury: Duke star freshman cleared to return in 2025 NCAA Tournament opener on Friday

Expected Mega-Star Of March Madness Goes Down With 'Unfortunate' Injury

Freshman star Cooper Flagg is ready to go for No. 1 seed Duke in NCAA's East Region bracket

Flagg 'long shot' for ACC semis after ankle injury

Cooper Flagg's grandma wore amazing custom sweater with his face on it for March Madness

More from Yahoo Sports

Nebraska softball opens conference series against Minnesota with 8-0 shutout victory

Report: Steelers hosting Oklahoma State RB Ollie Gordon II for pre-draft visit

Angel Reese offers advice to childhood friend playing in women's NCAA Tournament

Portland takes on Boston, looks for 5th straight victory

Portland takes on Boston, looks for 5th straight victory

More in Sports

Nebraska softball opens conference series against Minnesota with 8-0 shutout victory

Report: Steelers hosting Oklahoma State RB Ollie Gordon II for pre-draft visit

Angel Reese offers advice to childhood friend playing in women's NCAA Tournament

Cleveland takes on Utah, looks to halt 4-game skid

Oklahoma City faces Los Angeles on 5-game win streak