Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg, the presumptive No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft, injured his left ankle during the Blue Devils’ ACC Tournament game Thursday.
According to the ESPN broadcast, Flagg was ruled out for the rest of Thursday’s game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Duke initially listed him as doubtful to return.
Flagg was injured after he went up for a rebound with under three minutes to go in the first half. As he came back down, his left foot landed on an opposing player. Flagg immediately went down to the ground holding his left ankle.
He was helped off the court and taken to the locker room for further evaluation. Once he was off the court, Flagg was transported by wheelchair to have his ankle examined.
Flagg returned to the bench in the second half and was not seen wearing a boot.
“It’s not about being ready to go tomorrow,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said after the game. “That’s not the most important thing for us. We’ve got to see if we can get him right for this run that we can make in the [NCAA] Tournament.
“But I would have to be really convinced that we should even consider seeing if he can go [Friday]. He may not be able to go anyway. He probably won’t be able to go anyway. But I think it’s a real long shot, a real long shot.”
Expected by many to be the first overall pick in this summer’s NBA draft if he declares his intention to go professional, Flagg is one of the most highly touted prospects in men’s college basketball. In his freshman season at Duke, he averaged 19.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists a game before the conference tournament.
Flagg, who grew up in Maine, finished his high school basketball career at Montverde Academy in Florida. He was the 2024 Gatorade National Player of the Year and the No. 1 rated recruit in the class of 2024.
Flagg committed to Duke in October 2023 after having also considered the Connecticut Huskies.
