Duke's Cooper Flagg feeling good, confident after ankle injury - ESPN

RALEIGH, N.C. — Cooper Flagg says he is «pain free» after suffering an ankle injury that kept him out of the majority of Duke's ACC tournament championship run, and he expects to be fully healthy for the Blue Devils' NCAA tournament opener against Mount St. Mary's on Friday.

The Duke star rolled his ankle in the first half against Georgia Tech on March 13, but Flagg said he went through a full practice Wednesday and expects no issues when he takes the court for his first NCAA tournament game.

«We've been working through the steps of just getting back to 100%, and I feel very good,» Flagg said Thursday. «I'm very confident moving forward.»

Coach Jon Scheyer said Flagg wanted to play in the ACC tournament, but Duke's staff wanted to proceed cautiously. Flagg did not go through warmups prior to any of the Blue Devils' game last weekend, but he moved without issue on the sideline and didn't require any protective footwear.

«He's been itching to get out there,» Scheyer said. «I think that says a lot about who he is because a lot of guys would be more patient or not as anxious to get out there. That's just not the way he's wired, his family, everybody with them.»

Flagg said he has dealt with minor ankle injuries frequently, but he knew immediately that this one was a bit more severe. He exited the game, Duke's ACC tournament opener, and had an MRI and X-rays that both showed no significant damage. Flagg said he spent the next week working with Duke's training staff on a rehabilitation program aimed at having him fully healthy for the NCAA tournament.

«From the start of the week, it was kind of like a buildup of jumping back into practice, getting back to 100%, doing some individual things with some of the coaches on the side,»