With Selection Sunday three days away, perhaps the biggest star in college basketball’s playing status is suddenly in doubt.
Duke freshman phenom Cooper Flagg left the Blue Devils’ ACC tournament quarterfinal win against Georgia Tech with a sprained left ankle Thursday at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
With 2:46 remaining and Duke trailing by nine, Flagg rose up for a rebound on a missed Georgia Tech 3-pointer, but after securing the ball, he turned his left ankle at an awkward angle when he landed on the court. He immediately fell to the court and grabbed at his ankle.
Here’s an updated look at Flagg and his injury:
Cooper Flagg injury update
Teammates and team training staff rushed to Flagg immediately following his injury. Flagg got up and stood, but wasn’t able to put much weight on his left leg and walked with a noticeable limp.
After being looked at on the sideline, a visibly in-pain Flagg was taken back to the team’s locker room, with a teammate on either side of him helping support his weight as he walked gingerly. He was later shown by ESPN cameras on a wheelchair heading back to get an x-ray.
After being examined, Flagg was shown walking on his own and with no noticeable limp. Though he was able to return to his team’s bench, he was ruled out for the remainder of the game.
Blue Devils coach Jon Scheyer said after the game that x-rays on Flagg’s ankle were negative and that he suffered a sprain.
‘We just have to understand there’s going to be swelling and to see how he recovers and how he goes from there,’ Scheyer said in his post-game news conference. ‘Proud of this team to step up without two of our key guys.’
Scheyer added that Brown re-dislocated his shoulder, which is why he was removed from the game. Flagg was not made available for interviews with reporters after the game.
Without Flagg, Duke was able to cut some into its deficit and went into halftime trailing Georgia Tech 31-26. It continued that run early in the second half, scoring 12 unanswered points to build a seven-point lead on its way to a 78-70 victory.
The Blue Devils, who won 17 of their 20 ACC regular-season games by at least 10 points, entered the game as a 13½-point favorite.
Friday’s semifinals are a ‘long shot’ for Flagg, Scheyer said. The Blue Devils play the winner of Thursday’s game between No. 4 seed Wake Forest and No. 5 North Carolina.
This story was updated with new information.
