Duke’s A.J. Flagg Confident Ahead of NCAA Tournament Return

RALEIGH, N.C. — A.J. Flagg of Duke University, who faced an ankle injury during the ACC tournament, says he is now “pain-free” and ready for the NCAA tournament opener on Friday against his next opponent. Flagg rolled his ankle on March 13 but recently participated in a full practice, expressing confidence in his recovery.

After suffering the injury during Duke’s ACC tournament opener, Flagg underwent MRI and X-rays which showed no significant damage. “We’ve been working through the steps of just getting back to 100 percent, and I feel very good,” Flagg said during a press conference Thursday. “I’m very confident moving forward.”

Duke coach Jon Scheyer noted that Flagg was eager to play during the ACC tournament, but the coaching staff chose to exercise caution. Flagg had not participated in warmups during the Blue Devils’ games last weekend, but he showed good movement along the sidelines without 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.”

Flagg also revealed that he has a history of dealing with minor ankle injuries but recognized immediately that this recent incident was more severe. After being sidelined, he worked closely with Duke’s training staff on a rehabilitation program tailored to complete his recovery ahead of 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 percent,” Flagg explained. “Then I was back at full practice [Wednesday].”

During the Wednesday practice, Flagg felt he had regained “100 percent full mobility,” which seems promising as the tournament approaches. However, Scheyer offered a tempered perspective on Flagg’s condition, stating, “This is about him being able to move properly. He wasn’t going to play if he was compensating.”

Even in Flagg’s absence and without teammate Junior Brown, who is recovering from a separated shoulder, Duke’s basketball team managed to claim the ACC title, defeating their final opponent by 11 points. Center Maluach credited their defensive strategy. “It didn’t matter that the lineup changed. We were just us and still played our normal basketball,” he said. “I’m excited to see [Flagg] play again.”

Flagg, a consensus All-American this season, boasts averages of 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. While discussions about Brown’s possible return remain uncertain, Scheyer indicated that if Duke progresses in the tournament, Brown might return later.

“I don’t know if that’s going to happen,” Scheyer remarked, “but that’s his mindset, that’s our mindset to do everything we can to just give it a chance if we can continue to progress in this tournament.”