RALEIGH, N.C. — It took just 98 seconds to see the first live-action test of Cooper Flagg’s injured ankle, and his response to hard contact suggests that he — and the Blue Devils — are fully charged for a deep run in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
Tyrese Proctor jumped a pass from Mount St. Mary’s guard Xavier Lipscomb and pushed the ball in transition up the left side of the floor. Flagg trailed full steam ahead down the middle of the floor, and when Proctor flipped the ball back, Duke’s superstar freshman absorbed two arms full of contact as he made his move to the basket. Flagg landed awkwardly on his feet and fell to the floor as the ball went in the basket. After it did, there was not a wince or indication of re-aggravation to the ankle he spent a week rehabbing for this very moment.
Flagg roared, flexed his arms in what has become a signature move and celebrated the and-one opportunity as Proctor helped him to his feet. As Flagg rose, it appeared his ankle — injured eight days ago in the ACC Tournament — was good to go.
Flagg’s status was one of the very few concerns about a Duke team that was the national title favorite even after the injury. Flagg has been confident in his readiness for a couple days now, but the discipline of Duke’s training staff has put him in the position to return fully healthy. He was running the floor in transition, throwing lobs and executing high-flying dunks, showing all of the reasons why he is the favorite to win National Player of the Year and be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
In terms of workload, it was the ideal way to work Flagg back into the lineup. The Blue Devils were leading 24-9 at the under-12 media timeout and up 54-28 at halftime. Flagg finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists in 22 minutes of action — less court time than his season average, but second on the team behind only Tyrese Proctor (24 minutes).
“We were ready for him to play more but I think the way it worked out obviously was really good,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “But we were prepared for him to play as many minutes as he needed to.”
As the game proceeded, Flagg didn’t show any of the signs of concern that Scheyer was looking for from his star freshman.
“The biggest thing for me was him not pacing. I didn’t want him to pace,” Scheyer explained. “Then obviously making sure he was moving, where he wasn’t off balance or favoring one leg or the other. We had already addressed that before this game, so that wasn’t a big concern. I was just making sure he wasn’t pacing. Obviously giving him a few extra minutes, I’m sure that’s going to be helpful for Sunday. As it got down in the second half, my thing was to limit his minutes as much as possible.”
While Flagg drew the headlines, the rest of the Duke team showed why this squad is capable of a run to the title. Proctor — who stepped up in Flagg’s absence with strong performances in the semifinals and championship game in the ACC Tournament — led the team with 19 points and five assists, including a 6 for 8 showing from behind the arc.
Scheyer spoken often about this team’s lack of NCAA Tournament experience, but Proctor was playing for the eighth time in the Big Dance — and it showed. The Blue Devils are counting on him to lead on and off the floor, while Flagg and the rest of the freshman overwhelm opponents with their talent advantage.
Duke will play Baylor on Sunday in the Second Round looking to secure a spot in the Sweet 16. The matchup brings a reunion with former Blue Devils’ guard Jeremy Roach, who transferred to the Bears last offseason.
“Obviously I love Jeremy,” Scheyer said. “I coached him for four years, two as an assistant, two as a head coach, and he’s given Duke everything he has. I know Jeremy, and he knows me and us. We’re not going to make this about that.
“This should be about Duke and Baylor. But at the end of the day, obviously Jeremy has been an important guy for our program with what he’s done, and he’s done a really good job this year. But this game for us on Sunday is going to be about what we have to do to beat Baylor, and I’m sure it’s the same for Jeremy and their team in their
minds.”
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