Cooper Flagg exited Duke’s ACC quarterfinal win over Georgia Tech with a serious-looking ankle injury.
Flagg, the Blue Devils’ five-star freshman, was injured when he rolled his left ankle while pulling down a rebound late in the first half. After being helped off the court, he eventually made his way to the locker room and was at one point spotted in a wheelchair.
Flagg was able to rejoin his teammates on the bench for the second half, which hopefully bodes well for his future availability. It seems unlikely he’ll play again this weekend, but the NCAA Tournament is another matter.
Duke is expected to be a No. 1 seed and one of the favorites to win the Big Dance. Without Flagg, their national title odds take a serious hit.
College basketball fans on social media are also hoping we haven’t seen the last of Flagg in a Duke uniform.
“Things I hate: Duke basketball. Things I also hate: seeing a kid go down with an injury. Hope Cooper Flagg and Maliq Brown are alright/able to play in the NCAA tournament. Would genuinely be a shame (and this is coming from a UNC fan),” a Carolina fan said.
“The world needs Cooper Flagg in the NCAA tournament,” another person said.
“There is about a 0.02% chance that Cooper Flagg plays in this weekend’s ACC Championship game. Resting him until the NCAA Tournament is the wise move. Let’s hope Duke does the wise thing, no need to further risk any injury to the projected number 1 draft pick,” a third person chimed in.
“DONT TELL ME WE GONNA MISS OUT ON COOPER FLAGG PLAYING IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT?” a fourth person shouted.
“Really hope Cooper Flagg is okay. This NCAA Tournament could be legendary. But it won’t be the same without him,” added Field of 68’s Sean Paul.
Flagg scored only two points on 1-of-7 shooting before leaving the game. Without him, Duke rallied from a 14-point first-half deficit to win 78-70.
We’ll see if the Blue Devils offer anything concrete on Flagg’s status today.
Related: Cooper Flagg’s Parents Made Telling Move After His Big Injury