Duke freshman Cooper Flagg will miss Saturday’s ACC Tournament title game against Louisville due to an ankle injury suffered in a win over Georgia Tech earlier this week. However, there is hope that the superstar forward and projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft will be able to return for the NCAA Tournament.
NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt told CBS Sports that the selection committee has been in contact with Duke and the ACC ahead of the official bracket reveal on Selection Sunday.
“What we understand from communication with Duke and the ACC is that Cooper Flagg will be available for the NCAA Tournament,” Gavitt said. “So, don’t expect that to impact their seeding. He is not the only significant injury we are tracking. … player availability is always a concern and a consideration.”
X-rays came back negative after the Blue Devils’ superstar freshman left the team’s ACC Tournament quarterfinal game against Georgia Tech with a sprained ankle. Without Flagg, Duke eked past arch-rival North Carolina on Friday night despite blowing a 23-point lead — thanks, in part, to a fortuitous lane violation.
Is it your year to win the bracket pool? You won’t know if you don’t play! Enter your March Madness® brackets today to compete with friends and for prizes!
“I’m not breaking any news, but Cooper is not going to play tomorrow,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer told reporters after the win over the Tar Heels.
Flagg sustained the injury with 2:46 remaining in the first half after rolling his ankle coming down for a defensive rebound. He immediately grabbed at his lower leg and lay writhing in pain on the court as trainers tended to him. Flagg was eventually helped off the floor with assistance back to the locker room area and later placed in a wheelchair to be taken to an exam room.
Add Comment