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Cooper Flagg Exits Duke ACC Tournament Game With Apparent Ankle Injury
Duke fans are currently holding their collective breath.
During the ACC tournament quarterfinals against Georgia Tech on Thursday, Blue Devils superstar freshman Cooper Flagg rolled his left ankle badly and had to leave the game.
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 struggled to get off the floor and had to be helped to the locker room.
Cooper Flagg was helped to the locker room after an apparent ankle injury 🙏 pic.twitter.com/w52AaXFT0f
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 13, 2025
He was later taken by wheelchair for further examination.
Unbelievable scene in Charlotte: Duke star Cooper Flagg is being taken by wheelchair for further examination after suffering an apparent ankle injury in the first half vs. Georgia Tech. pic.twitter.com/XyvHOiai3w
— Kyle Boone (@kyletheboone) March 13, 2025
When he emerged from the locker room his ankle appeared to be badly swollen.
Cooper Flagg has emerged from the Hornets X-ray room, still in a wheelchair. His left ankle is heavily swollen.
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) March 13, 2025
That is horrible news for Duke, as Flagg is the favorite to win National Player of the Year. The forward entered Thursday's game averaging 19.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game, while shooting 49.4% from the field and 37.7% from three-point range.
Even before Flagg's injury, the game was not going well for the top-seeded Blue Devils. At one point they trailed the Yellow Jackets 26-12, though Duke was able to tighten the game up. Georgia Tech leads 31-26 at the half.
Flagg returned to the bench but was ruled out. Now attention will turn to his availability for next week's NCAA tournament.
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Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.