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On Thursday, Duke basketball was dealt a tough injury blow when star forward Cooper Flagg went down with an apparent ankle injury during the team's ACC Tournament matchup against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Things already hadn't been going well for the Blue Devils, who found themselves unexpectedly trailing as the game neared halftime, but they went from bad to worse when Flagg came down awkwardly while attempting to grab a rebound late in the first half.
Flagg stayed down for nearly a minute as the crowd went silent, and then was finally able to get up and his teammates helped him to the bench, not putting any weight on the ankle.
A few moments later, ESPN cameras caught Flagg's NSFW reaction as the Duke basketball training staff worked on his ankle on the sidelines.
https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1900230186349494312
Later on, Flagg had to be taken back to the locker room in a wheelchair, unable to put any pressure on the injured ankle.
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Flagg has quickly risen to the top of NBA Draft boards for his play this year for the Blue Devils and is on the short list of contenders for the Wooden Award, which will be announced later this spring.
Flagg's rare combination of size, agility, and outside shooting touch have made him a darling prospect for NBA scouts, as he fits the positionless basketball archetype that the league continues to trend toward.
However, it should be noted that as of yet, Flagg has made no indication of an intention to declare for the draft at this season's conclusion. Any chance that the top-seeded Duke basketball program has of winning a national championship this year likely hinges on Flagg's health, and the early indications certainly weren't great on Thursday given his initial reaction to the injury.
Hopefully, further analysis reveals that the setback is less severe than it appeared.
