Is Cooper Flagg playing today? Exploring top NBA Draft prospect's availability for March Madness
Cooper Flagg's No. 1 Duke Blue Devils dominated their first-round opponent in March Madness, No. 16 Mount St. Mary's, 93-49 on Friday. The Blue Devils showcased their immense talent and looked like a serious contender for the National Championship.
However, not long before the tournament started, there were serious question marks around the team. Notably, the presumptive number-one pick in the 2025 NBA draft, Cooper Flagg, had missed the previous two games with an ankle injury. Flagg suffered an ankle injury in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament and missed the rest of the tournament.
Is Cooper Flagg playing today?
Fortunately for the Blue Devils, they won the tournament without him and Flagg was cleared to play in the first round against Mount St. Mary's. He only played 22 minutes and did not aggravate his injury. He appears fully healthy, so he will be available against Baylor on Sunday.
With the game scheduled for 2:40 p.m. ET on Sunday, there has been no indication from Flagg or the coaching staff that he has aggravated his injury in any way. He is no longer on the injury report, and as a result, he should be a full participant in Sunday's game.
What to expect from Cooper Flagg and the Duke Blue Devils vs. the Baylor Bears
Unlike the Blue Devils who dominated their first-round matchup, the Baylor Bears narrowly escaped the first round with a 75-72 win over No. 8 Mississippi State. While it was an impressive upset victory for Baylor, fans should not expect the Bears to keep the game as close against the Duke Blue Devils.
Duke was able to defeat its opponent on Friday with Flagg only playing 22 minutes. Against a stronger opponent like Baylor, the coaching staff will likely allow Cooper Flagg to play closer to 30 minutes like he normally does. If that is the case, it will be very challenging for the Bears to pull off the upset.
Entering the game, Duke is one of the biggest favorites of the second round with -875 odds and Baylor is a +585 underdog. The spread is set at 12.5 points, indicating that the sportsbooks do not think the result will be close.
Flagg will likely start the game playing full-time. However, the coaching staff could take him out of the game if Duke starts to pull ahead, resting him for the next round. The game is scheduled for 2:40 p.m. ET on Sunday.