Duke's Flagg to play vs. Mount St. Mary's

Duke star Cooper Flagg is cleared to play in Friday's Round of 64 game against Mount St. Mary's, the school announced Thursday.

"I feel very good," Flagg said Thursday, per The Associated Press' Aaron Beard. "I'm very confident moving forward."

Flagg sprained his ankle in Duke's ACC Tournament quarterfinal win over Georgia Tech last week and missed the Blue Devils' semifinal and final contests.

The 18-year-old said he "hated every second" of missing those games.

Despite not having Flagg in the lineup, Duke went on to win the ACC title over Louisville.

Flagg averaged 19.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.3 blocks during the regular season, helping the Blue Devils go 28-3 overall and 19-1 in conference play.

The AP Poll put Duke in the No. 1 spot in its final rankings prior to March Madness. The program also earned a regional 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Flagg is widely projected to be the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.