RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Duke freshman star Cooper Flagg says he'll be ready to play fully in Friday's NCAA Tournament opener against Mount St. Mary's as he recovers from a sprained ankle.
“I feel very good,” he said Thursday. “I’m very confident moving forward.”
The unanimous Associated Press first-team All-American rolled his left ankle during the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament quarterfinals and missed the Blue Devils' wins in the semifinals and title game. That sent Duke into March Madness with the No. 1 seed in the East Region bracket.
The school posted on social media Thursday that Flagg would be active for Friday's game. After that, Flagg attended a players' news conference and said he had been able to return to full practice Wednesday.
Flagg said he “hated every second” of not being able to play during the ACC Tournament after the injury, but X-rays and an MRI both came back with encouraging results to indicate his absence wouldn't be long.
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“I've rolled my ankle a good amount of times growing up playing basketball,” Flagg said. “Usually I'm able to just tie my shoe and walk it off. It was definitely a little bit of a different feeling as soon as I rolled my ankle this time, I knew it was a little bit more severe and a little more serious.”
The Blue Devils' first-round game in their home state is one of six matchups in the East bracket on Friday. The list includes No. 8 seed Mississippi State facing Baylor, also in Raleigh, North Carolina.
In Cleveland, No. 2 seed Alabama will face 15-seed Robert Morris, while 7-seed St. Mary's will meet 10-seed Vanderbilt.
And in Seattle, No. 4 seed Alabama meets 13-seed Akron, while No. 5 seed Oregon meets 12th-seeded Liberty.
