Fortunately for Duke, their young phenom, Cooper Flagg, appeared to avoid serious damage after leaving Thursday’s ACC Tournament game against Georgia Tech.
Flagg’s status remains uncertain following what head coach Jon Scheyer described as a left ankle sprain. His injury occurred at a vital time for the Blue Devils, who are still in the conference tournament and will shortly be among the title contenders in the NCAA Tournament.
It’s uncertain when Flagg will be ready to return to the court, and Duke has a tight turnaround as it prepares to face rival North Carolina in the ACC Tournament semifinals on Friday. Could the versatile forward return to the game?
Here are the most recent updates on Flagg’s status vs. North Carolina as Duke looks to prolong its conference tournament run.
Is Cooper Flagg playing today?
It’s uncertain when Flagg will be ready to return to the court, and Duke has a tight turnaround as it prepares to face rival North Carolina in the ACC Tournament semifinals on Friday. Could the versatile forward return to the game?
Here are the most recent updates on Flagg’s status vs. North Carolina as Duke looks to prolong its conference tournament run.
“It isn’t worth it. It simply isn’t. Again, his ankle was already swelled. “It’s not about being prepared to go tomorrow,” Scheyer explained. “That isn’t the most important thing for us; we need to see if we can get him ready for our run in the [NCAA] Tournament. But I’d have to be convinced before we even considered seeing if he could travel tomorrow.”
Scheyer said that Flagg “probably won’t be able to go anyway,” and that it would be a “real longshot” for him to play again in the ACC Tournament while the medical staff continues to monitor the swelling around his ankle.
With more than 24 hours between games, Flagg’s ankle may recover sufficiently for Duke to contemplate allowing the rookie to participate. However, according to Scheyer’s initial assessment, Flagg will likely be out until the Blue Devils’ March Madness run begins.
What happened to Cooper Flagg?
Flagg left Thursday’s ACC Tournament game against Georgia Tech with an ankle injury.
Flagg stepped on an opponent player’s ankle and twisted his own while attempting to grab a defensive rebound. He collapsed to the floor in anguish and had to be assisted off the court by his teammates.
After returning to the locker area, Flagg was seen in a wheelchair.
Flagg subsequently returned to the Duke bench for the remainder of the game. Following the game, Scheyer stated that Flagg’s ankle X-rays were negative and that the injury was a sprain, adding that the team would continue to watch how the injury recovers.
When does March Madness start?
If Flagg is going to return for the NCAA Tournament, he needs to do so by March 20 or 21. That is when the first round of action will start.
Here’s the full tentative schedule for March Madness:
First Four: March 18-19
First round: March 20-21
Second round, March 22-23
Sweet 16: March 27–28
Elite Eight: March 29–30
Final Four: April 5
NCAA Championship Game: April 7
