Cooper Flagg exited Duke’s ACC tournament opener against Georgia Tech after suffering a sprained ankle while grabbing a rebound in the first half. Flagg was seen in a wheelchair as he went to the locker room, but returned to the floor where he was standing and cheering on his teammates.
Duke was trailing by nine points late in the first half when Flagg went down. This is a terrifying injury for the Blue Devils as they prepare to enter the 2025 men’s NCAA tournament as a No. 1 seed and perhaps the biggest favorite to win the national championship. Watch the play that Flagg was injured on here:
Cooper Flagg exited the game and was helped to the locker room after appearing to injure his left ankle in the first half against Georgia Tech. pic.twitter.com/EiUslVt0ZM
— ESPN (@espn) March 13, 2025
Flagg was initially in a wheelchair as he examined by team trainers. He eventually walked back onto the floor to cheer on his teammates from the bench:
Flagg was not in a walking boot on the bench, which is seen as an encouraging sign.
ESPN broadcast just said Cooper Flagg is ruled out today, but he’s back on the bench still with his shoes on and no boot. pic.twitter.com/cd5qDiX0hI
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod (@big_business_) March 13, 2025
Ankle injuries are no fun for basketball players. If Flagg is ruled to have a Grade 1 sprain, he could be out a week or two. If it’s a Grade 2 sprain, he would be looking at three weeks or more on the shelf, which would likely end his college career.
The NCAA tournament needs Flagg. Here’s hoping the Blue Devils’ super freshman and projected No. 1 overall NBA draft pick can get back on the floor soon.
