The Duke Blue Devils received the No. 1 seed in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament on Sunday, but their March Madness chances will be dependent on Cooper Flagg’s availability.
The talented rookie was named the 2025 ACC Player of the Year after guiding Duke to the regular season ACC championship. Flagg led Duke in all major statistical categories on a per-game basis, including points (18.9), rebounds (7.5), assists (4.1), blocks (1.2), and steals (1.5).
However, Flagg suffered a frightening ankle injury in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals. He left in a wheelchair and missed the next two games as Duke won the conference tournament without him, cementing its spot 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 approaching, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer provided a major update on his star player’s status. “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 next few days will be critical for evaluating Flagg, emphasizing the importance of “being smart” and getting him back into practice before making a final decision. Flagg’s professional future, as the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, is also something Scheyer may have to think about, with some fans urging Duke to bring him back gradually.
Despite the injury concerns, ESPN’s Basketball Power Index named Duke the clear favorite to win the NCAA championship. The Blue Devils proved they can win without Flagg when they came from behind to defeat Georgia Tech in the quarterfinals after he was injured. 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 past the first round of the NCAA Tournament, it will face No. 8 Mississippi State or No. 9 Baylor in Raleigh on Sunday. The Blue Devils’ East Region contains 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 called as a “fantastic” draw when compared to the other areas.
