Duke star Cooper Flagg will miss the remainder of the ACC tournament with an ankle injury, head coach Jon Scheyer announced.
Late in the first half of Duke’s conference tournament game against Georgia Tech, Flagg went up for a rebound and came down awkwardly on his left ankle. He immediately went down to the floor and clutched his leg.
Flagg, 18, the presumptive top pick in this summer’s NBA draft, was helped to the locker room by teammates, unable to put weight on his left leg. In the tunnel, he was taken in a wheelchair for further evaluation.
Scheyer said after the game that X-rays on Flagg’s ankle were negative. Nevertheless, Flagg will be out at least until the NCAA tournament kicks off next week. “It’s not worth it,” Scheyer told reporters after Duke defeated Georgia Tech 78–80.
Flagg is averaging 19.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game this season.
Maliq Brown, a forward on Duke’s bench, also reaggravated a shoulder injury Thursday, and missed the remainder of the game.
During the second half, ESPN cameras showed Flagg walking on both feet back to Duke’s bench—without a walking boot.
It is unknowable how Flagg’s injury would affect TV ratings, but Duke making a run would undoubtedly be great for March Madness broadcasters CBS and WBD Sports, both because of the school’s legacy brand and Flagg’s star power. For example, Duke vs. North Carolina averaged three million viewers on ESPN this past Saturday, one of the most-watched college basketball games this season.
