Can he play? And if so, how effective will he be?
Those are the questions surrounding Cooper Flagg as he and his Duke men’s basketball team begin play in the NCAA tournament this week. A season in which Flagg and the Blue Devils dominated the Atlantic Coast Conference took a sharp turn last week when Flagg, a Newport native, came down after grabbing a rebound, landed awkwardly and suffered a sprained ankle in the ACC quarterfinal victory over Georgia Tech.
Duke went on to win the ACC championship with Flagg sitting for the semifinal and final victories over North Carolina and Louisville, but the ankle continues to be the subject of conversation and scrutiny as the Blue Devils embark on their quest for a national championship.
Flagg’s ACC tournament ended in the first half of the first game, when he badly bent his left ankle while coming down with a rebound with 2:46 to go before the break.
Flagg had two points, two steals and four rebounds in 15 minutes of play, but had to watch the rest of the game from the sideline after returning from the locker room. Coach Jon Scheyer said X-rays were negative, ruling out a break.
After Duke’s tournament place was revealed Sunday, Scheyer said Flagg will be a go for the opening-round game Friday against American or Mount St. Mary’s.
“From my perspective, it’s full steam ahead,” Scheyer said on ESPN. “I want to get Coop back as quickly as we can. He wants to do the same. … Our goal is for Friday, no question about it. I know that’s his goal as well.”
Friday
Opponent: Mount St. Mary’s or American
Time: 2:50 p.m.
TV: CBS
Noteworthy: With Scheyer answering the question of whether Flagg will be in action, the question becomes how well he’ll play. Just how the Blue Devils use the star freshman remains to be seen, as does how well Flagg can move, plant and land on the injured leg. The Blue Devils’ leading shot-blocker and rebounder could be hampered in doing both, depending on how well he trusts his ankle.
The Blue Devils have shown an ability to win without Flagg, including the last two games of the ACC tournament, and they should be fine in this game even if Flagg is at all compromised. Patriot League champion American had one game against a top-25 team, North Carolina, and lost by 52. MAAC champion Mount St. Mary’s played two power conference teams, defeating 7-24 Miami and losing to Maryland by 34.
