Duke Blue Devil enthusiasts were given a big scare Thursday night when Cooper Flag sprained his ankle in the ACC tournament vs. Georgia Tech. The freshman star guard was helped off the court in the final minutes of the first half of the quarterfinal. Flagg landed awkwardly on the floor after a defensive rebound. Although he only had 2 points, Duke would later go on to defeat Georgia Tech 78-70.
Fortunately, Duke coach John Scheyer says that the X-rays were negative and that he should be good to play Friday (Today). However, there is a concern about this incident. A Cooper Flagg-less Blue Devil is still pretty good and worthy of being a one-seed, but is the team Final Four material?
Cooper Flags leads Duke in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks per game, showcasing that he is an important, crucial piece in their hopes for a title. He is the definition of a Two-Way player, one that is commonly sought after in the NBA. Thought of as similar to ALL NBA player Jayson Tatum, who also went to Duke, they need Flagg to be as healthy as an ox.
In addition, Duke lost Maliq Brown, a key defensive player who helped the team tremendously on that end. So, losing Brown to injury gives Flagg some potential wear and tear if the Blue Devils aren’t careful.
Cooper Flagg is the key to their high hopes, and without that key, those hopes are locked forever.
