When Cooper Flagg had committed to Duke, the expectations for both he and the Blue Devils were sky high. Yet, throughout his lone season, he proved to be even better than many expected. In the regular season, Flagg led the team with 19.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg, and 4.2 apg, earning ACC Player of the Year and making the all-defensive team.
The Blue Devils entered the ACC Tournament as both the 1 seed and the No. 1 team in the latest AP poll. The big storyline for the league was whether they’d have a close game or would run through the field. But their quarterfinal opponent was Georgia Tech, a team who in the Coach Damon Stoudamire era, have been known to pull off some upset wins.
Cooper Flagg exited the game and was helped to the locker room after appearing to injure his left ankle in the first half against Georgia Tech. pic.twitter.com/EiUslVt0ZM
— ESPN (@espn) March 13, 2025
The Yellow Jackets had an unbelievable start to the game, going up by as much as 14 points, as the Blue Devils started the game 6/23 from the field. But the biggest moment occurred when Flagg seemed to suffer an apparent serious ankle injury, needing help to get to the locker room. He didn’t return as of this writing, with Duke down 31-26 at halftime.
Cooper Flagg seen in a wheelchair after suffering an apparent ankle injury today.
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) March 13, 2025
Oh no… pic.twitter.com/BfDMJZw2dJ
The most important thing, however, will be the status of Flagg going forward. Ankle injuries vary from player to player. Some can be fine minutes and hours later, while others can be out for weeks or even months at a time. The fact that Flagg needed help and couldn’t put any weight on his ankle could either be an immediate precautionary move or one that signals true danger.
Cooper Flagg was legitimately 5 ft off The ground and rolled his ankle he might be cooked for the rest of the ACC tournament even if Duke wins today pic.twitter.com/73nGxi2MhK
— John (@iam_johnw) March 13, 2025
Flagg sitting out the rest of the ACC Tournament and the Blue Devils’ seeding wouldn’t take a hit. And there’s plenty of depth on this roster so if it’s serious, Duke could rest him until the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament and still not lose.
One thing is for sure: Flagg is once again the No. 1 subject in College Basketball, this time, for not good news.
UPDATE: Cooper Flagg ruled out
Flagg was rule out of the remainder of Duke's win over Georgia Tech depsite returning to the Duke bench without a boot on his injured foot. His status heading into the semifinals is unclear.