The Duke Blue Devils are by far the biggest favorite to win the National Championship this season. They were also favored heavily to win the ACC Championship in what has been a down season in the conference.
However, those hopes were dashed on Thursday afternoon when star freshman Cooper Flagg left the Blue Devils’ game against Georgia Tech late in the first half of their quarterfinal matchup.
What Happened to Cooper Flagg?
With Duke down 26-17 and just under three minutes left to play in the first half, Flagg skied high for a rebound following a missed three-point attempt by Tech. After securing the rebound, Flagg came down awkwardly on his left ankle and fell to the floor in clear pain.
Cooper Flagg is hurt and heading to the locker room.
— Mark Titus Show (@MarkTitusShow) March 13, 2025
Flagg rolled around in pain for a few moments, grabbing at his ankle before being helped up by his teammates. However, Flagg could hardly put any weight on his ankle and needed the help of his teammates to get to the bench area.
This slowed-down version of the video also gives a better indicator of the potential severity of Flagg’s injury.
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
Following a punch to the chair out of frustration, Flagg grimaced as he sat down for trainers to attend to him. However, it was clear that Flagg himself understood the potential severity of the injury.
C0ew0erpl pic.twitter.com/eUiiSMdEgp
— Diamond Dog (@DiamondDogzzz) March 13, 2025
Flagg’s expression said it all for Duke and college basketball fans alike.
He was later seen leaving the court and heading to the locker room with the Blue Devils still down on the scoreboard to the Yellow Jackets. Two Blue Devils players had to assist Flagg in even getting to the locker room before he was then spotted in a wheelchair needing assistance.
Cooper Flagg getting taken out in a wheelchair? 🏳️👨🏼🦽
March Madness is off to a crazy start.#TheBrotherhood#CBB🏀 #NCAAB⛹🏽♂️ pic.twitter.com/BMYfNzM7Ii
— Rip (@RipInWisconsin) March 13, 2025
Quickly after the first half, however, it was announced that Flagg would at least miss the rest of the game against Georgia Tech.
Making matters worse, it was also announced that the Blue Devils potentially lost Flagg and Maliq Brown for the rest of the game against Tech, putting their ACC title and NCAA championship hopes in serious doubt. Despite some varying reports, the Duke Men’s Basketball account on X cleared the status updates.
Injury updates:
Maliq Brown (left shoulder) – out
Cooper Flagg (left ankle) – doubtful to return
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) March 13, 2025
Widely seen as the best player in college basketball this season, Flagg was the reason for Duke’s +350 odds to win the national title this year. While the severity isn’t known at this time, it is clear that his injury will impact Duke’s chances to win the game against Tech, let alone win the ACC Tournament or even the NCAA Tournament.
UPDATE: Flagg was ruled out for the second half of Duke’s game against Georgia Tech. Any updates on his severity given following the game will be updated here.
Cooper Flagg is back up and walking but is ruled out for the rest of the game with an ankle injury. pic.twitter.com/94bgnTHgwy
— ESPN (@espn) March 13, 2025
But, in a promising twist of events, Flagg was seen warming up on the sidelines before being ruled out.
Cooper Flagg’s Impact On Duke
True freshman like Flagg don’t come around quite often and Duke has clearly reaped the benefits of his star prowess on and off the court. While he leads Duke in just about every major category, Flagg is also a top-30 scorer in the country, averaging 19.4 points per game while averaging 7.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.
Flagg’s impact stretches beyond the court as he leads all basketball players in NIL valuations and can be seen on various television ads, billboards, and sponsored products both regionally and nationwide.
MORE: Cooper Flagg’s NIL Valuation Leads Every College Basketball Star
As this is a developing story, College Sports Network will update you here with any further news on Flagg’s injury and his status going forward.
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