The Duke Blue Devils secured the No. 1 seed in the East Region of the NCAA Tournament during Selection. The storied program enters March Madness with a 31-3 record, thanks in large part to standout freshman. Despite sitting out the final two games of the ACC Tournament due to an ankle injury, he still leads Duke in all five major statistical categories. His stellar play has solidified him as the projected No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. He added another accolade to his résumé, being named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press, as announced by the program on X.
In addition to being a personal milestone, His All-America honor also helped Duke extend its lead over powerhouse programs Kansas and Kentucky for the most All-America selections since 2000. Flagg joins an elite group of former Duke standouts to earn the distinction, including Zion Williamson, Carlos Boozer, Nolan Smith, Paolo Banchero, and his current head coach, Jon Scheyer.
While the accolade is significant, Flagg’s attention is likely fixed on returning to the court to aid Duke’s NCAA Tournament run. That return seems within reach, as Scheyer told ESPN’s Rece Davis that the plan is to have Flagg ready for Friday’s opening-round matchup. “From my perspective, it’s full steam ahead,” Scheyer said. “We’re working to get Coop back as quickly as possible, and he’s determined to do the same… Our target is Friday, no doubt about it.” Duke will face the winner of American University and Mount St. Mary’s in Raleigh, North Carolina.