Cooper Flagg’s rise to the top of college basketball talk has been phenomenal. However, ESPN’s sports personality Stephen A. Smith suggests that the freshman should sit out NCAA’s first-round game.
Flagg sustained an injury during the game’s dying minutes against Georgia Tech in the ACC tournament. Smith argues, irrespective of Flagg’s fitness levels, the point guard must not play.
Stephen A. Smith Wants Cooper Flagg Rested for the March Madness Opening Game
On Thursday, March 13, Flagg went down against Georgia while holding his ankle. He was declared out of the tournament. However, Duke went on to win the tournament’s semifinals and finals game without the freshman phenom.
On March 17’s broadcast of ESPN’s “First Take,” Smith banked on this fact and stated that Flagg must be preserved for bigger games and should sit out on Friday even if he’s 100% fit.
“I don’t care if holy water was sprinkled on this brother’s ankle, he shouldn’t play Friday,” said Smith. “He shouldn’t play in that first-round game against the 16th seed. If the Duke Blue Devils can’t beat the 16th seed without Cooper Flagg, you don’t deserve to be in the tournament.”
.@stephenasmith says Cooper Flagg should NOT play in the first round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament 👀
"If the Duke Blue Devils can't beat the 16th-seed without Cooper Flagg, you don't deserve to be in the tournament." pic.twitter.com/v0BWbtDne5
— First Take (@FirstTake)
“I will remind y’all this brother went down, they won a semifinal game, and they won a conference title game without him. There is no 16th seed that is comparable to what they just finished facing in the ACC tournament without Cooper flag.”
“You’ve got [Kon] Knueppel, you’ve got [Tyrese] Proctor, you’ve got the rest of those [players]. These brothers can ball. You can go out there and beat the 16th seed and buy Cooper flag two additional days rest for the rest of the NCAA tournament. No way he should play that first game.”
Smith’s co-panellist on the show, former college basketball head coach Seth Greenberg, vehemently disagreed with Smith’s take. He suggested that after an injury and sitting out two games in the ACC tournament, Flagg needs to play minutes in the first-round game to prepare for the grueling games later on in March Madness.
Duke Head Coach Gives an Update Regarding Flagg
After Duke’s thunderous 93-60 victory over Wake Forest to win the ACC tournament, head coach Jon Scheyer gave an update on Flagg.
“From my perspective, it’s full steam ahead. I want to get Coop back as quickly as I can, and he wants to do the same. Obviously, tomorrow is important. Today was an off day. We got back late (from the ACC tournament),” he said on ESPN.
The Blue Devils will face off against the winner of American vs. Mount St. Mary’s on Friday, March 21, in Raleigh, N.C.
