With just under three minutes remaining in the first quarter of Duke’s ACC Tournament quarterfinal matchup against Georgia Tech, Cooper Flagg seemed to suffer a devastating injury.
Here’s the latest on the Duke phenom and what this means for Flagg and the Blue Devils going forward.
What Happened To Cooper Flagg?
Flagg went up for a rebound and as he came down, he landed on a Georgia Tech player’s ankle.
The projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft immediately grabbed his left ankle and was in a lot of pain, as Duke fans around the world held their breath.
Cooper Flagg is headed to the locker room after an apparent ankle injury🙏
(via ESPN)https://t.co/Fz2Ip5EbvP pic.twitter.com/co0h3j5Mtj
— On3 (@On3sports) March 13, 2025
At the time of the injury, Flagg had contributed 2 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block while shooting 1-of-7 from the field, including 0-of-3 from the three-point line.
As if the injury wasn’t scary enough, Flagg was later taken to the X-ray room in a wheelchair. He was also extremely emotional, screaming “f**k” and burying his face in his towel.
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
After getting X-rays, reporters indicated that Flagg’s ankle was “heavily swollen.” Duke ruled him out for the remainder of the game.
Fortunately, shortly after being taken to the X-ray room in a wheelchair, Flagg was spotted walking and putting weight on his ankle, which is a good sign. He returned to Duke’s bench to watch the remainder of the game, so it seems he may have avoided a serious injury.
Cooper Flagg is back up and walking but is ruled out for the rest of the game with an ankle injury. pic.twitter.com/94bgnTHgwy
— ESPN (@espn) March 13, 2025
After the game, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer confirmed that Flagg suffered an ankle sprain and said it’s “a real long shot” that he will be able to play in the ACC Tournament semifinals. It remains to be seen if he can recover in time for the NCAA Tournament.
On the season, Flagg is averaging 19.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.3 blocks on 49.4/37.7/83.0 shooting splits.
How important is Flagg to Duke? Well, he is currently leading the Blue Devils in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals. Flagg is on pace to become the first freshman to lead his team in every statistical category while making the NCAA Tournament.
There’s a chance Flagg could win a unanimous National Player of the Year award, which has only been done twice in history (by Kevin Durant and Zion Williamson).
Flagg Is Projected To Go No. 1 Overall in 2025 NBA Draft
Flagg has been penciled in as the clear-cut No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft for quite some time, and his time at Duke has only strengthened that buzz.
While this injury would be devastating for Duke as they enter the NCAA Tournament, it likely wouldn’t impact Flagg’s draft stock — even if it is severe. After all, the NBA team picking at No. 1 overall would be selecting Flagg based on his long-term upside.
However, there is no guarantee that Flagg will enter the 2025 NBA Draft. He made headlines last month when he said that he’s interested in returning to the Blue Devils for his sophomore season in what would be a shocking move.
“Sh**, I want to come back next year,” Flagg told The Athletic.
Returning to school would be a bit risky, as Flagg could hurt his draft stock. However, the big money that top prospects are earning from NIL deals minimizes that risk a bit.
Flagg is earning a projected $4.8 million from his NIL deals this year, which is the most of any college basketball player and the second-most of any college athlete (behind only Texas quarterback Arch Manning’s $6.5 million), according to On3.