Duke is heading at the end of the ACC Tournament on Saturday, but the Blue Devils will do it without the injured Star Cooper Flagg, said coach Jon Scheyer to journalists after the victory of Friday's semifinal over North Carolina.
Duke best classified played without Flagg and Maliq Brown, but remained to win 74-71 despite blowing almost an advantage of 24 points in the second half.
Both players were on the bank, they wore black warming suits and standing on the back of the Huddles during waiting times.
The team announced the state for each player a little less than two hours before the start of the semifinal. Both players were injured in the quarterfinals on Thursday against Georgia Tech, with Flagg twisting the left ankle and Brown again injuring a dislocated left shoulder.
Of course, things seemed briefly worse for Flagg, who was seen being taken to the locker room in a scene that hit panic worldwide.
None of the players were expected to play on Friday, both due to the nature of the injuries and at the beginning of the madness of March that is coming next week with Duke as a Fur Four favorite.
Cooper Flagg #2 of the Duke Blue Devils look from the bank in the first half against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the semifinal round of the ACC Tournament at the Spectrum Center
Flagg, the 6 -foot 9 -inch first year star named Tuesday as the ACC player and the newcomer of the year by Associated Press, walked without starting and without major limit when he arrived at the Spectrum center before the game. He kept his hands in his pockets while walking with each step documented by television cameras and photographers, a wink to his condition of a possible selection of the NBA general draft in general every time he decides to be professional.
Brown arrived with his left arm in a Honda after being taken to a hospital for evaluation on Thursday.
Scheyer said Thursday that it would be 'a real long shot' for Flagg to be ready to play. He also alluded to the next NCAA tournament in Flagg's health management, saying that “it is not worth it” in terms of letting Flagg try to play on Friday if he was limited.
Scheyer also said it was too early to know with certainty the long -term forecast for Brown, a Junior striker.
“Obviously it will waste time, whatever happens,” Scheyer said.
Both lesions have the potential to be great blows for the Blue Devils on the eve of the NCAA.
First is Flagg, whose versatility allows you to impact the game from anywhere on the floor as a scorer (18.9), rebounder (7.5), player (4.1 assists) and defender (1.3 blocks and 1.5 robberies).
Then there is Brown, a 6-9 striker whose value goes far beyond its modest statistics (2.6 points, 3.9 rebounds). It is a versatile defender who can move your feet to handle switching screens, defend multiple positions and use its length to create deviations.
He showed that value in the victory of last weekend on UNC, when he returned from an absence of almost three weeks due to the previous dislocated left shoulder.
Flagg and Brown have helped Duke Stand Stands as the only team in the nation classified among the top five nationwide in Kenpom's tight efficiency metrics for the offensive (128.7 points per 100 possessions) and defense (89.9) Entering Friday night.