Duke coach Jon Scheyer announced Cooper Flagg would not play in Saturday’s ACC Tournament Championship Game against the winner of Louisville vs. Clemson.
“I’m not breaking any news, but Cooper is not going to play tomorrow,” Scheyer told reporters.
X-rays came back negative after the Blue Devils’ superstar freshman left the team’s ACC Tournament quarterfinal game against Georgia Tech with a sprained ankle. Without Flagg, Duke eked past arch-rival North Carolina on Friday night despite blowing a 23-point lead — thanks, in part, to a fortuitous lane violation.
Flagg sustained the injury with 2:46 remaining in the first half after rolling his ankle coming down for a defensive rebound. He immediately grabbed at his ankle and lay writhing in pain on the court as trainers tended to him. Flagg was eventually helped off the floor with assistance back to the locker room area and later placed in a wheelchair to be taken to an exam room.
Duke rallied from a double-digit deficit without Flagg on the floor to win 78-70.
“He sprained his ankle,” Scheyer said postgame Thursday. “X-rays were negative, which is great. We just have to understand there’s going to be swelling and see how he recovers and how we go from there.”
Flagg was unable to initially put much, if any, weight on the leg after the incident, which is not uncommon for ankle sprains. He punched a chair on the bench in frustration and screamed before being taken back to the locker room. In an encouraging sign, Flagg did return to the bench walking under his own power and without a boot.
When asked about his status for Friday’s semifinal game vs. North Carolina, Scheyer did not come across as optimistic he’ll be sending his star freshman onto the floor.
“Well, I already know how he’s wired. And look, to be honest with you, I would have to be, like, convinced by everybody in the locker room when I go back there that he should play,”…
..
