Cooper Flagg didn’t know a rebound could cost him so much. Duke fans were on their feet, holding their breath as Flagg rolled on the floor. The first half wasn’t even finished, but it felt like the game was already over for the 18-year-old. He got up, limped off the court, and the next thing you know, he was being carried off in a wheelchair to the X-ray room. Could this mean his participation in March Madness is over?

The visuals came some time ago from Spectrum Center, where Duke was facing Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals. The Blue Devils had established a lead by halftime, but losing their main star is definitely not a good sign. What’s even worse is the report from his X-ray.

Flagg’s injury is no minor one. Everyone saw how he fell. And according to Bryan Fischer’s report, the ACC Player of the Year’s ankle is heavily swollen. Naturally, panic spread through the Duke community, who had been looking forward to witnessing Flagg during the exciting March Madness. Fans gathered on social media, speculating about the young star’s future.

Duke community hold their breath as Cooper Flagg’s status remains uncertain

“Cooper Flagg new balance athlete getting an ankle injury on national television while wearing…Nikes,” wrote one fan. We know Flagg joined the New Balance family, but since Duke is associated with Nike, he’s not allowed to promote or wear his brand whenever he is representing the team. The fan, however, took the opportunity to shade the sneaker giant over Flagg’s incident.

Another fan didn’t hesitate to ask, “is cooper flagg d— ? is our season over ?” While the first part of the comment was a bit of an exaggeration, the latter was definitely concerning. But fans can rest easy knowing that it doesn’t seem like that’s the case. At least for now, as Flagg is back on the sidelines.

“This Cooper Flagg injury doesn’t sound good AT ALL,” read one of the comments. Indeed, it doesn’t. He has returned, but he’s on the bench, and it doesn’t seem like he’ll be hitting the court today. An official announcement from the team would provide a clearer picture of his condition and whether he’ll be able to continue.

Someone wrote, “Cooper Flagg in a wheelchair?? Son is cooked.” The scene was certainly worrisome, with Flagg limping and being carried off in a wheelchair. It was deeply concerning, and there was no guarantee he would even return to the sidelines. However, we hope that it was just a normal ankle swelling and not something more serious.

Meanwhile, a comment stated,

“He will NOT return today, probably won’t play in the ACC tournament, and his NCAA tournament status is in jeopardy. This injury looks terrible.” No official confirmation has been received regarding this, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the community’s worst nightmare came true. After all, that wasn’t a normal fall.

Amid all the uncertainty, there’s still hope that brings relief in situations like these. And the Duke community must hold on to that hope and pray for Cooper Flagg’s recovery, hoping he can to return and continue to showcase his magic on the hardwood next week as the March Madness will begin.

This is a developing story…