Duke's Cooper Flagg out vs. UNC in ACC tournament semifinal after ankle sprain
As expected, Duke will be facing rival UNC shorthanded in the ACC tournament.
Likely NBA No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg has been ruled out for the Blue Devils' semifinal game on Friday with an ankle injury, the program announced. Forward Maliq Brown is also out with a shoulder issue.
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Flagg sustained the injury in question in Duke's quarterfinal game against Georgia Tech. He landed on another player's foot after jumping for a rebound and immediately hit the floor in pain. He was later seen being transported in a wheelchair for imaging.
Cooper Flagg left the game and was helped to the locker room after suffering an ankle injury against Georgia Tech 😳
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) March 13, 2025
(via @espn)pic.twitter.com/8Elvj3UoyX
Duke head coach Jon Scheyer told reporters after the game Flagg had sustained an ankle sprain and was unlikely to play again in the ACC tournament. The team still hopes he will be able to play in the NCAA tournament, which starts next week.
"It's not about being ready to go tomorrow," Scheyer said. "That's not the most important thing for us. We've got to see if we can get him right for this run that we can make in the [NCAA] tournament.
"But I would have to be really convinced that we should even consider seeing if he can go (Friday). He may not be able to go anyway. He probably won't be able to go anyway. But I think it's a real long shot, a real long shot."
Flagg, the favorite for National Player of the Year honors, posted 15 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four blocks in Duke's win over the Tar Heels last week. In his first game against them, he had 21 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocks.
His absence will leave Duke in need of someone to step up, against both UNC and the winner of the other semifinal game between Louisville and Clemson. As Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor laid out, the most likely players to do so would be fellow freshmen Kon Knueppel, Khaman Maluach and Isaiah Evans, all of whom could help their draft stock with a big game without help from Flagg.
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