The Duke Blue Devils got by just fine in Cooper Flagg’s brief absence. He sustained an ankle injury that raised plenty of concerns, but he has shown no signs of slowing down because of that.
Then, in his team’s second-round NCAA Tournament win over Baylor, he was inadvertently poked in the eye. He held his fiance and was bleeding and had a swollen face.
That’s why some people were worried about him ahead of his team’s Sweet 16 clash with Arizona. Flagg, however, was completely unbothered by the poked eye, and he’s going to be fully available.
Cooper Flagg shuts down injury concerns ahead of Sweet 16 clash
“Yeah, I’m all good. My eye feels pretty good right now,” Flagg said after the game. He finished the game with 18 points, nine boards, six assists, and one block in 29 minutes, so he wasn’t limited by it at all.
Cooper Flagg #2 of the Duke Blue Devils
The projected first-overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft has been efficient since he returned from his ankle injury. He’s exceeded all expectations so far, and he’s going to continue to be crucial to his team’s aspirations.
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Flagg was recently named a finalist for the Naismith Player of the Year award, and given the way he’s played, it’s very hard to envision anybody else beating him for that distinction.
