Duke basketball freshman superstar Cooper Flagg went down with an ankle injury during Duke's 78-70 ACC Tournament quarterfinals victory against Georgia Tech yesterday. Flagg's X-rays came back negative, but he will not play in the semifinals against North Carolina today and likely will not play for the remainder of the ACC Tournament.
"I would have to be convinced by everybody in the locker room when I go back there that he should play. It's not worth it. It just isn't," Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer said in his post game press conference after the Blue Devils' quarterfinals victory.
Now, with the absence of Flagg for the first time this season, the Blue Devils have a chance to prove they can win without their star player in a big game against the Tar Heels.
The Duke basketball program has dealt with injuries to key contributors such as Tyrese Proctor and Maliq Brown this season, but the team's leader, Flagg, hasn't missed any time this season before now.
Flagg leads Duke in all five major statistical categories, averaging 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game this season. The freshman has been the leader for the Blue Devils on both sides of the floor all season, and now Duke must find a way to win without him.
North Carolina is in a "do or die" type of scenario today, with a win likely earning the program an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, but a loss likely keeping it out of the big dance altogether.
Despite a disappointing all-around season for the Tar Heels, UNC is getting hot at the right time and is looking to make a push towards an NCAA Tournament berth.
The Heels have won eight of their last nine games, with their lone loss in that stretch coming against Duke in Chapel Hill, where Duke won 82-69.
Without Flagg, Duke will now turn to Flagg's freshman partner, Kon Knueppel, to pick up the slack. Knueppel finished yesterday's win over the Yellow Jackets with a season-high 28 points to go along with five rebounds and eight assists.
Duke will also look for a bigger scoring presence from the program's veteran backcourt of Tyrese Proctor and Sion James.
The Blue Devils have a chance today to prove they can be just as dominant without their freshman phenom, and a win today, especially a lopsided one against a fiesty UNC team, will prove that Duke is for real on a national scale.
Catch Duke (29-3, 19-1 ACC) taking on North Carolina (22-12, 13-7 ACC) at 7:00pm ET on ESPN.