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

Duke star Cooper Flagg has missed multiple games in the ACC tournament with an ankle sprain, but it looked like he'll be back for March Madness.

Flagg, who sustained the injury during the ACC quarterfinals on Thursday, missed Duke's narrow win over North Carolina on Friday, and is set to miss Saturday's ACC final. Although some feared that the projected No. 1 NBA draft pick might not be healthy in time for the NCAA tournament, Flagg may be back sooner than expected.

NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt went on CBS on Saturday during a break in the Big Ten tournament, speaking on March Madness seeding. When asked by CBS if Flagg and Browns's injury could have an affect on Duke's seeding in the tournament, Gavitt said that the school had informed the NCAA that Flagg was going to play.

"What we understand from communication with Duke and the ACC is that Cooper Flagg will be available for the NCAA tournament, so don't expect that to impact their seeding," Gavitt said.

"What we understand from communication with Duke and the ACC is that Cooper Flagg will be available for the NCAA tournament."

NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt provides an update on the @DukeMBB star, who is expected to recover from his ankle injury in time for… pic.twitter.com/MGgg8YTuA1
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 15, 2025

Gavitt said that there are other injuries that the NCAA is keeping an eye on, but did not clarify which players or teams.

"Player availability is always a concern and a consideration and could potentially impact seeding, especially if a player is unavailable to play in the NCAA tournament," he added. With Flagg, though, that does not seem to be the case.

Concerns were initially high for Flagg, the reigning ACC Player of the Year, after he exited Thursday's game with assistance. Flagg was taken for further examination in a wheelchair, but his X-rays were negative, indicating that the injury was not as bad as originally feared.

Duke is also playing without starting forward Maliq Brown, who missed Friday's game with a shoulder injury. Brown is expected to miss Saturday's game as well, though it is unclear whether he will also be ready in time for the NCAA tournament.

The Blue Devils struggled in Friday's rivalry win without Flagg and Brown, only winning by three points after blowing a comfortable first-half lead. The Tar Heels, who were down by as many as 24 points, launched a defiant comeback, but fell just short of a win after a lane violation nullified what would have been a game-tying free throw.

With Flagg on the bench, fellow freshman Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach stepped up on Friday: Knueppel led the team in scoring with 17 points, while Maluach ended with 13 points and nine rebounds. With the win, Duke advanced to the final on Saturday against Lousville.

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