Duke’s Cooper Flagg is biggest star heading into March Madness Trending Global News

A hobby cooper flag was determined to celebrate the latest Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament of the top ranked Duke by snatching a piece of net, even after recalling two straight games.

So he crossed a sea of ​​scattered confede and started climbing on a ladder, closely saw the fans, teammates and media members that he took the first step on his sprain left ankle.

“Be careful, Bratha!” A voice broke between Din. “Be careful, up and down.”

Read: Cooper Flag Team takes advantage of the opportunity to play against USA

As the flag landed with the funnel in the hand, he sidelined the lowest step of the ladder and touched down on the same left leg, offering a momentary strange trick.

Another voice said, “Just don’t get yourself away from the ladder, please,” another voice said.

Certainly, it was a small – and perhaps a little nervous was a stressful moment, but it captured a slices of the gaze, which has been closed on the flag in all seasons. The largest star in the NCAA tournament is a new man who did not have been 18 years old in the season and a unanimous associated press became the first-team all-American. Nevertheless, their approximate loan march madness runs as a potential number 1. Overall the NBA draft pickle begins with them, which attracts attention to every step of the flag, along with the ankle injury and late season with the top seeds of the eastern region, drill or potentially serious.

After the conclusion of Duke’s house against Wake Forest, graduate guard Sion James said, “Cooper, Cooper has handled everything that has been thrown with grace on him.” “People are saying all kinds of items about him, really good and really bad. He has taken it all in the strid.”

Only now they will now have to flourish among the largest spotlight of the game in the NCAA tournament, where college stars can become even bigger names, which can become even more big names between the upsets and bajer-seeds who fascinated the country in every spring.

Read: Coach K said goodbye as North Carolina Downs Duke at NCAA Final Four

Bounce

Duke Forward Cooper Flag cut the net cut after NCAA College Basketball Game at the Championship of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament after her victory against Louisville, in Charlotte, Neckon (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) on Saturday, March 15, 2025.

The 6-Foot-9, 205-Pound Forward gets her shot, filled with a storyline.

The first injuries were when he rolled his ankle after coming on a rebound and crashed in court in the last Thursday’s ACC quarterfinal against Georgia Tech. He fonds on the bench and bounced a chair in frustration before going towards the spectrum center in Charlotte, Northern Carolina, where he had X-rays and was briefly seen by TV cameras in the wheelchair before going out of his power-no boot, no boot, no boot, no crochece-huffed to his team.

He has not played since then, although coach John Sheer expressed optimism that the Flag Duke Campus may be ready for a Friday home-set opener against the US-Mary St. Mary’s winner from the Duke Campus.

Blue Devils were also losing versatile defender Malik Brown for a shoulder injury, which was hurt in a few moments before the flag was hurt. And the stock had to shake the staff duties with assistant and defensive coordinator Jai Lucas after a regular season to jump on his tenure as Miami’s new head coach.

“Cooper has a chance to do some real hero goods here,” ACC network analyst Luke Hancock said, “Louisville, the last four most outstanding players for the post -impulsive NCAA title of Louisville.” “You can come back from injury and you can find a way to lead the team with leaving Jai Lucas and Malik Brown is hurt.

Read: Duke’s Mike Crisevsky: Time is right to retire

“If Cooper Flag wins the National Championship, it is going to happen,” See that he is coming out of the wheelchair in the ACC tournament, “Just add the story.”

And what is this story.

Make a moment

Duke Forward Cooper Flag (2) stings to NCAA College Basketball Game against North Carolina during the second half of the Basketball game on Saturday, March 8, 2025 in Chapel Hill, Neck (AP Photo/Chris Saved)

The flag has lived up to high expectations, which started as a growing whisper about a hoops in its home state of Main years ago. He was the undisputed star of a team that exceeded the ACC regular-season and tournament titles for the first time since 2006, and has now spent the NCAAS at number 1 in the Top 25 poll in the last two weeks.

There are many highlights on the way. In December, a strong performance to defeat the final number 1 overall NCAA Cid Obern and fellow AP AP AP All-American Johnny Broom. An ACC freshman single-game record 42 points against Notre Dame. A highlight-reel infection sting against Pittsburgh in which all of them but 7 feet defender Guillermo Diaz Graham was filled in the basket, while the foul was foul.

And of course, the first meeting against the rival North Carolina dominates, then the first-half-dishonesty troubles to re-overcome the halftime in Round 2.

Flag takes Duke to five major categories: scoring (18.9), rebounding (7.5), aid (4.1), block (1.3) and theft (1.5). He is a versatile threat, as a scorer with a game-changing capacity, the sideline and baseline for the baseline, which often tampered with triple-dobbal, which has eventually removed her.

So far, anyway.

“Being around this level of coaches and coaching, skill development helped me a lot,” Flag said after the closing of its potential Cameron Indoor Stadium.

“I think I am so better all around.”

Done in an old game

The story of the flag has shaped between the time of rapid change in college games, especially with the transfer portal and more player movement allows the amount of volume to the free agency. There is still a final crop of players in their fifth year, which is safe by competing between the Kovid -19 epidemic, the Obern broom checked the box on both categories after starting his career in the mid -first Morhead State.

Add it, and are putting a premium to the portal to add experienced talent to the coach high school recruitment that can move elsewhere anyway.

Nevertheless among an old game, there is still an attraction to take the best new ones to the spectacle of march madness, especially in Marki-Brand Bluebolds such as Duke, Kentki, Kansas or Northern Carolina.

And the flag is as ready as anyone can be.

Duke Associate head coach Chris Caravell said after the ACC title-game win, “Unreliable, he has been incredible throughout the year.” “Keep the play aside. Your team has followed the attitude of personality and best player. And he is very selfless.”