Duke’s Cooper Flagg Injures Ankle, Unlikely to Return for ACC Tournament
During the first half of Duke’s ACC Tournament quarterfinal win over Georgia Tech, top prospect Cooper Flagg injured his left ankle after landing awkwardly on an opponent’s foot while going for a rebound. As a precaution, the Blue Devils—currently holding a stellar 29-3 record and the No. 1 seed—are expected to keep Flagg sidelined for the remainder of the tournament.
On Friday, college basketball analyst Adam Zagoria confirmed Flagg won’t play in Duke’s semifinal clash with rival North Carolina, and he’s unlikely to return even if Duke advances further. Head coach Jon Scheyer told The Athletic he’s hesitant to risk Flagg’s health ahead of the NCAA Tournament, saying it would take strong persuasion from the entire team to consider letting him play.
With Flagg leading Duke in all five major statistical categories, the team will rely on other players to carry the load. Nonetheless, they remain on track for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, with ESPN’s Joe Lunardi projecting them to top the East (Newark) region. Despite Flagg’s absence, Duke is still favored by 6.5 points against UNC, according to ESPN BET.
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