Cooper Flagg injury impact: Duke isn’t ‘Final 4 great’ without

Mar 13, 2025, 04:19 PM ET The college basketball world relatively stopped spinning when Cooper Flagg went down with a left ankle injury in the first half of Duke’s ACC competition quarterfinal win over Georgia Tech on Thursday.The freshman phenom was helped to the locker space, then later on found in a wheelchair, and eventually did not return for the 2nd half. The Blue Devils also lost Maliq Brown, who was required to the healthcare facility after suffering a shoulder injury.Duke coach Jon Scheyer informed the media that Flagg’s X-rays were unfavorable, indicating it’s a sprain, but that it’s a”genuine long shot”that he returns for Friday’s semifinal. With uncertainty around the status of both players, Jeff Borzello, Joe Lunardi and Myron Medcalf weigh in on what these advancements could imply for heaven Devils on Choice Sunday and beyond.How could Duke’s seeding be impacted if Cooper Flagg’s status doubts on Sunday night?Joe Lunardi: The

choice committee will wait as long as possible for information and adjust Duke’s bracket position appropriately. If he does not return in the ACC competition, like Scheyer suggested, however with a prognosis of playing early in the NCAA tournament, my guess is the Blue Devils will keep their most likely No. 1 seed– it would take a near-certain lack of Flagg’s services for that to change.Jeff Borzello: If Duke wins the ACC competition without Flagg, there won’t be much of a question here. However if the Blue Devils lose in Friday’s semifinals– and Houston, Florida and Michigan State each win their conference tournaments– could that possibly drop them to the 2-seed line? It seems not likely, however the committee will have to hope there are more answers than concerns by Sunday night.Myron Medcalf: Earlier today, Bubba Cunningham– North Carolina’s athletic director and chair of the selection committee– said it is necessary to note that every member has a different set

of criteria they prioritize on Choice Sunday. That stated, if we get details that Flagg’s ankle injury might remain, it could impact the discussion about the overall No. 1 seed. Disallowing any update that would indicate Flagg might be out for a long stretch, it’s doubtful that this news would erase Duke’s complete body of work from the season and strip heaven Devils of that front runner. Cooper Flagg suffered a left ankle injury late in the first half of Thursday’s ACC competition quarterfinal against Georgia Tech. Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images Scheyer stated it’s a”real long shot”that Flagg plays in Friday’s semifinals. If you’re Scheyer, would you think about sitting Flagg for Saturday’s final, too?Borzello: I might go a step even more and sit him till the 2nd round of the NCAA competition, depending how things look

in the coming days and next week. As discussed above, it’s unlikely the Blue Devils will lose their spot on the 1-seed line– and they most likely should not need Flagg to dispatch a 16-seed in the first round of the tournament. However that all will depend upon what Flagg’s ankle looks like by Friday early morning and how he can handle the swelling and pain.Medcalf: Definitely. Scheyer is also likely thinking of Flagg’s future at the next level– there is no factor for him to play another game till the second round of the NCAA tournament. That would provide him more than a week to rest. And Duke would be fine until then. Still, it’s worth restating that we do not understand enough to understand the seriousness of the injury and what it may suggest for Flagg and Duke.Editor’s Picks 2 Associated How would Flagg’s and Brown’s potential absences effect Duke’s game plan?Borzello: It would truly lessen Duke’s frontcourt. At complete strength, heaven Devils have a near-perfect rotation– a balanced starting 5, veterans and an instant-impact scorer on the bench, large size and fouls down low. Flagg’s lack would clearly hurt Duke all over the court, offered his playmaking ability at the offending end and his off-ball awareness on the protective side. Mason Gillis would see a larger function with Flagg out, as might freshman scorer Isaiah Evans, merely from a shotmaking point of view. However Brown missing out on time once again would require Scheyer to make use of freshman huge man Patrick Ngongba, who did play well versus Georgia Tech on Thursday however is relatively unproven this season.Medcalf: The stretch without Brown previously this season demonstrated a few of the defensive problems this group has without him. Return to the win over Auburn in Dec. 4: Scheyer stated Brown played a pivotal function in that game due to the fact that he could guard Johni Broome, which indicated Duke didn’t need to produce any odd scheme or switch on defense, or put Flagg in a vulnerable area for nasty trouble. Brown had it covered. That’s just how much he indicates to this group. Gamers like him are critical in the postseason, but Flagg is

the very best player in America– Duke is a various team without him. Yes, heaven Devils will still have lottery game tease their roster, but they’re tentative 4 excellent without Flagg. More than anything, they would require players like Gillis and Ngongba to log more minutes. And Kon Knueppel would need to be the offensive driver for this team, together with Tyrese Proctor, till Flagg’s return.Men’s Competition Challenge Register now to play the # 1 Guy’s bracket game for FREE!$135,000 in prizes.