The NCAA Tournament doesn’t need stars. It makes them.

It introduced Steph Curry to America. It made the nation fall in love with Saint Peter’s and Fairleigh Dickinson.

Still, the upcoming NCAA Tournament may now suffer after Duke superstar Cooper Flagg — the National Player of the Year contender and projected No. 1 pick in the next NBA Draft — was removed from Thursday’s ACC Tournament quarterfinal win over Georgia Tech <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/03/13/sports/duke-star-cooper-flagg-hobbles-to-locker-room-after-suffering-injury/">with an ankle injury</a>.

Flagg skied to grab a rebound late in the first half, then landed awkwardly, badly rolling his left ankle. The 6-foot-9 forward was taken to the locker room in a wheelchair to be examined, then returned after halftime to the Duke bench, walking gingerly.

It is the burden of expectation. It is a path taken by so many of the most hyped one-and-done prospects this century.{ai:summary}<p>Duke's Cooper Flagg, a top contender for National Player of the Year and projected No. 1 NBA Draft pick, suffered a significant ankle injury during the ACC Tournament quarterfinal against Georgia Tech. He was taken off the court in a wheelchair but returned to the bench post-halftime. </p><p>The injury raises concerns for the upcoming NCAA Tournament, which has a history of creating stars from lesser-known players. #sports</p>

The harsh reality that so many prized one-and-dones share

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