By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-03-23 19:58:28 | Updated at 2025-04-03 22:01:57
1 week ago
Duke Blue Devils sensation Cooper Flagg suffered a gruesome injury during their March Madness showdown with the Baylor Bears on Sunday.
According to CBS reporter Tracy Wolfson, Flagg was left bleeding above his right eye after being accidentally poked by Baylor's Norchad Omier.
The NBA-bound forward then received medical attention for the entirety of a subsequent timeout as Duke staff cleaned their star man up.
He was then able to return to the court when play resumed, despite still appearing to be in some discomfort.
'They were trying to get that bleeding to go down, but certainly there was no question he was going back in,' Wolfson said on CBS' live broadcast of the game.
Flagg, the projected No. 1 pick in this year's NBA Draft, gave Duke a huge injury scare heading into March Madness after leaving their recent ACC quarterfinal against Georgia Tech early with an ankle injury.
Duke sensation Cooper Flagg was left bleeding from the eye during their game against Baylor
But fortunately he was deemed fit enough to line up in their opening fixture against Mount St Mary's Mountaineers on Friday, before recording 14 points in a resounding 93-49 victory.
Flagg insisted he entered that game '100 percent and comfortable' despite only playing a little more than 22 minutes.
'We just put a plan in place,' he said afterwards. 'We have phases, a strategy of just getting back, getting prepared and being ready.'
'We were ready for him to play more, but I think the way it worked out obviously was really good,' Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. 'But we were prepared for him to play as many minutes as he needed to.'
The Newport, Maine native has been an All-American performer throughout his freshman campaign.
Flagg averaged 19 points and 7.5 rebounds, leading the Blue Devils in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks per game.
