Flagg 'long shot' for ACC semis after ankle injury
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Duke coach Jon Scheyer said it’s a “real longshot” that freshman star Cooper Flagg will be able to play in the ACC tournament semifinals because of an ankle sprain.
The 6-foot-9 Flagg rolled his left ankle in the first half of the top-ranked Blue Devils’ 78-70 quarterfinal win against Georgia Tech. He hobbled off the court before heading to the locker room, then returned to the bench for the second half but didn’t play again.
Scheyer said Flagg was already dealing with swelling and said he’d “have to be really convinced we should even consider seeing if he can go” in the semifinals on Friday night.
Scheyer said X-rays showed no fracture for Flagg, the ACC’s player and newcomer of the year who averaged 19.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists during the regular season.
The Blue Devils also lost Maliq Brown in the first half after he again dislocated his right shoulder. He was taken to the hospital.
The top-ranked Blue Devils were trailing by 26-17 late in the first half when Flagg went up for an uncontested rebound and crashed to the floor after he appeared to have his left foot land on the foot of Georgia Tech’s Darrion Sutton.
Flagg, the ACC’s player of the year and newcomer of the year, limped to the bench in clear distress, then bent over with his hands on the seats and pounded a chair with his right fist.
The 6-foot-9 Brown is a key reserve and versatile defender who is viewed as a vital cog in Duke’s championship hopes. He had returned against North Carolina last weekend after missing about three weeks with a shoulder injury.
Duke was projected as the likely No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament coming into the game after taking over the top spot in the rankings this week. The Blue Devils had won eight straight games before the ACC tournament.
