Cooper Flagg’s Ankle Injury Puts Duke’s Title Hopes at Risk

The No. 1 ranked Duke Blue Devils will be without the top player in the country, Cooper Flagg, for their next game and possibly more.

The 18-year-old superstar suffered an ankle injury during Duke’s recent win over Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament. It occurred with less than three minutes to go in the first half.

Flagg skied for a rebound off of a missed shot and landed awkwardly on another player’s foot. He immediately grabbed at his left ankle and was helped up off the floor by his teammates. Flagg was eventually wheeled into the locker room and did not return for the remainder of the game.

Duke defeated its quarterfinal opponent 78-70.

After the game, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer revealed that Flagg’s x-rays came back negative, and the team was labeling it as a “sprain”. However, Scheyer also made it clear that Flagg was unlikely to suit up for the Blue Devils’ next game, a semifinal matchup against the rival North Carolina Tar Heels.

Flagg has had a sensational freshman year. He’s the favorite to earn National Player of the Year honors. Flagg is posting averages of 18.9 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.5 SPG, and 1.3 BPG. He’s the team’s leading scorer and also one of the top defenders in the country. Without Flagg, the Blue Devils’ chances of making the Final Four are considerably decreased.

After he left the game Thursday, Duke’s other freshman took over. All-ACC selection Kon Knueppel barely came off the floor (38 minutes) and finished with 28 points, eight assists, and five rebounds. Starting center Khaman Maluach notched 14 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks. And, microwave scorer Isaiah Evans knocked down four threes off the bench.

If Flagg has to miss multiple games, the rest of Duke’s roster will have to step up in the interim. The first-year stars were productive on Thursday, but they’ll need more out of junior Tyrese Proctor who struggled against Georgia Tech (2-for-11, six points). With Flagg out, we may see more of Purdue transfer Mason Gillis — a career 40-percent three-point shooter.

In the event Flagg is forced to miss the NCAA Tournament entirely, Duke can kiss its title hopes goodbye. The Blue Devils could win the ACC Tournament without him, and even maybe a couple of games in the NCAAs. However, this team is not contending for a national title without their best player and the likely No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.