For teams that have made the ACC tournament, the last thing that anyone would have wanted is to lose a key player at this stage. Unfortunately, that is what happened to the Duke Blue Devils men’s basketball team after star player Cooper Flagg suffered an ankle injury during the tournament opener on Thursday. While NCAA official Dan Gavitt assured fans that Flagg will be available for the NCAA tournament, his absence during the championship game is nevertheless being felt.
Duke’s ongoing matchup against the Louisville Cardinals is facing an ‘up-and-down’ situation. While the team was leading 57-49 with 10:53 remaining in the 2nd quarter, it nevertheless struggled with scoring during the early part of the game. This led podcaster Ryan Lommen to comment, “We miss Flagg in a game like this. Someone you can just rely on to go and get you a bucket and stop a run.”
We miss Flagg in a game like this. Someone you can just rely on to go and get you a bucket and stop a run.
— Ryan Lommen (@TheDukeNation) March 16, 2025
Over the course of 32 games during his rookie season, the 18-year-old Flagg has averaged 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists.
This is a developing story.
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