Durham, North Carolina let out a collective gasp when Duke basketball star Cooper Flagg was spotted in a wheelchair on Thursday. The 18-year-old phenom suffered an ankle sprain in the first half of an ACC Tournament quarterfinals matchup versus Georgia Tech and was eventually ruled out for the remainder of the game. He did return to the bench area to see his team grind out a 78-70 win and earn a date with the Tar Heels.
Following two straightforward regular season contests, people were clamoring for a third showdown between North Carolina and Duke. The former is desperate for a signature victory in 2025, while the latter is focused on maintaining its momentum heading into the NCAA Tournament. Desperation and prestige will fill Charlotte’s Spectrum Center on Friday night in this ACC semifinals showdown. But there might be considerably less star power on the court.
Flagg’s injury, despite dramatically improving the Tar Heels’ March Madness outlook, is severely diminishing the enthusiasm that would have surrounded this postseason clash of rivals. Many basketball fans are hopeful the presumptive No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft will be able to compete, but Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer did not inspire much confidence.
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Latest injury news regarding Cooper Flagg
The freshman forward and ACC Player of the Year went up high for a rebound and turned his ankle as he was landing, with less than three minutes left in the first half. He cheered on his teammates, who rallied against a pesky Yellow Jackets squad, but his good spirits do not account for swelling.
Scheyer considered Flagg “a real long shot” to play versus North Carolina as of the postgame press conference. While there is always a chance the ankle responds well to treatment, Duke has no reason to take risks. The team’s status as a No. 1 seed seems fairly firm entering the later stages of championship week, in large part due to the stellar season that Flagg has posted.
The Wooden Award favorite is averaging 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks through 32 games and is also shooting 48.8 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from 3-point range. Plain and simple, this teenager has been a juggernaut for most of the 2024-25 campaign. The Blue Devils are deep, but they are unlikely to cut down the nets in San Antonio, Texas without him.
And that is why they will probably prioritize his long-term health. In addition to Flagg’s injury, defensive stalwart Maliq Brown re-dislocated his left shoulder versus Georgia Tech, less than a week after returning. He was stretchered out and taken to the hospital for further examination. The likelihood of him playing in the NCAA Tournament, let alone the ACC Tournament semifinals, appear slim right now.
That is obviously a brutal scenario to ponder, but a functional Cooper Flagg could be enough to will this talented group to the pinnacle. ClutchPoints will keep you updated on this situation. Duke-North Carolina tips off Friday at 7 p.m. ET.
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