Cooper Flagg suffered an ankle injury during Duke's ACC quarterfinals against Georgia Tech on Thursday.
Duke freshman Cooper Flagg has been the heart of the Blue Devils’ success this season. The star forward has led the team in every major statistical category this season, helping them finish with a sensational 28-3 record. Cooper’s record-breaking season made Duke one of the favorites to win the 2025 March Madness.
But their title hopes took a hit on Thursday. Flagg suffered an ankle injury in the ACC quarterfinals against Georgia Tech. The injury occured when he landed awkwardly after grabbing a defensive rebound. He immediately left the game and was later seen in a wheelchair.
After the injury, Flagg was helped by his teammates to the locker room. Later, he was seen in a wheelchair, heading for further evaluation. Duke head coach Jon Scheyer confirmed that X-rays were negative.
“He sprained his ankle. X-rays were negative, which is great. We just have to see how he recovers and how he goes from there”, Scheyer said in post-game press conference.
Also Read: Duke’s Cooper Flagg named ACC Player of the Year
While Duke has not ruled him out, Scheyer hinted that playing in the ACC semifinals would be a “real longshot.”
“It’s not worth it,” Scheyer said. “It just isn’t. He was swollen already. It’s not about being ready to go tomorrow. That’s not the most important thing for us. We’ve got to see if we can get him right for this run that we can make in the [NCAA] tournament. So I would have to be really convinced that we should even consider if he can go tomorrow.”
Also Read: Cooper Flagg Caps Regular Season as Duke’s Leader in Every Major Stat
Before Flagg’s injury, Duke was among the favorites to win the national title. However, his injury on Thursday led to a dip in betting odds, according to Polymarket. Duke’s odds were +330 before Cooper’s injury but was briefly dropped to +700. However, as more time passed, the odds improved and Duke has jumped to +375.
For now, the Blue Devils and their fans can only hope for a speedy recovery as they prepare for the most important stretch of the season.
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