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Heartbreaking Cooper Flagg Photo Taken Minutes After Injury

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kevin Borba | Last updated Mar 13, 2025 1:25 PM ET

In a moment that could end up breaking the hearts of college basketball fans everywhere, Duke star Cooper Flagg went down with a horrific-looking injury on Thursday.

With his No. 1 seed Duke Blue Devils taking on the No. 8 seed Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament, Flagg was forced to exit the game late in the first half after going up for a rebound and appearing to roll his left ankle after landing on a Georgia Tech player's foot.

Flagg limped off the court under his own power, but a couple of teammates eventually assisted him to the locker room. To make matters a bit more concerning, a picture of Flagg in a wheelchair surfaced on social media as the young star was heading to get an X-ray.

Cooper Flagg is in a wheelchair being taken to get examined. pic.twitter.com/qH1DCIOwCV
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) March 13, 2025

College basketball insider Jon Rothstein reported that Flagg was "doubtful" for the rest of the game shortly after the injury occurred.

"Duke’s Cooper Flagg (ankle) is doubtful to return to today’s ACC Tournament Game against Georgia Tech, per a school spokesman," wrote Rothstein.

While the Duke roster is loaded with five-stars, Flagg is the catalyst for almost everything the team does. He leads the team in points (19.4), rebounds (7.6), assists (4.2), steals (1.5) and blocks (1.3) despite being a true freshman that reclassified and should be a senior in high school.

This injury comes just days after he was named ACC Player of the Year and ACC Rookie of the Year, and unfortunately just days before Selection Sunday. If Flagg cannot return soon, it's unclear what the ceiling is for this Duke squad.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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