A routine rebound nearly brought Duke’s worst nightmare to life against the Yellow Jackets! Imagine how Jon Scheyer would have felt in that moment, seeing his star player bringing his ankle to his chest, wincing in pain. The entire Duke bench surrounded the injured Cooper Flagg, helping him to the sidelines before the doctors wheeled him out for some scans. While it turned out just to be a normal sprain, the Blue Devils forward might be looking at a few days of rest. It was a sad day for Duke fans but for North Carolina? It was like all their dreams came true.

On March 13, 2025, at Spectrum Center, Flagg’s sprain—confirmed as a low-grade left ankle injury with negative X-rays per Duke’s report—ruled him doubtful for the ACC semifinal against UNC, per ESPN, handing the Tar Heels a rare edge in this Tobacco Road showdown.

Hubert Davis’ team stands on the brink of elimination from the NCAA Tournament. Unfortunately for the Tar Heels, they’re on the wrong side of the bubble, being 1-11 against Quad 1 opponents. UNC fans were praying for a miracle, a lifeline–a shot at redemption–and they might just have it! With a 22-12 record and a NET ranking of No. 68 as of March 14, per NCAA.com, UNC’s postseason fate hinges on this game, as ESPN’s Joe Lunardi listed them among the ‘Last Four In’ on March 13, needing a signature win to secure a bid.

On

The Field of 68: After Dark, analysts Jeff Goodman and Rob Dauster discussed the UNC vs Duke matchup in light of the recent injuries. Goodman discussed how a win on Friday might put Hubert Davis on the right side of the bubble. “I think this win if they can get it, with a little luck here, without having Cooper Flagg or Maliq Brown, could put Hubert Davis back in the NCAA Tournament. Take a little bit of heat off him. And the UNC coach does need a breather!

For Hubert Davis, getting to the NCAA Tournament is very important. The UNC head coach recently signed a long-term contract extension, keeping him in charge of the team through the 2030 season at the very least. Compared to his previous contract, this extension is quite lucrative, guaranteeing him a $1.25 million base salary each season. However, there’s a lot that needs to happen from his team for Davis to reach March Madness.

Announced in July 2024 per The News & Observer, this six-year, $6.25M deal reflects UNC’s $6.25M gamble on Davis, a national coach under fire after missing the NCAA Tournament in 2023 and now facing a second miss in four years, per SI.com—making Flagg’s injury a critical lifeline.

According to Rob Dauster, UNC can only win in a very particular situation. “For North Carolina to win, you need RJ Davis to go nuts, and you need a really big game from Ian Jackson.” He said, also pointing out how the bigs need to keep up their good form. The Tar Heels have had really good post-play for the last few weeks, with Van-Allen Lubin and Jae’Lyn Withers locking down the glass for UNC, combining for nearly 20 points and 20 rebounds against Wake Forest.

But there are a lot of ifs involved in this situation. Hubert Davis has been given a lifeline, but that’s it. He will need to capitalize on the situation in front of him, and that requires answering some very important questions. Duke has proven their competence even without Cooper Flagg, and UNC has a tough task in front of them. How will coach Davis overcome difficult odds on Friday?

How will UNC deal with Duke’s size even in Cooper Flagg’s absence?

Jon Scheyer’s team is the ‘biggest’ roster in college basketball. Even without Cooper Flagg and Maliq Brown, length won’t be an issue for Duke. The sheer size that the Blue Devils command is overpowering, causing analysts to raise all sorts of questions about the coming matchup with UNC. Duke’s average height of 6-foot-7.5, per KenPom’s March 14 metrics, towers over UNC’s 6-foot-5, with active players like 6-foot-7 Tyrese Proctor and 6-foot-11 Mason Gillis stepping up, per ESPN, posing matchup nightmares despite injuries.

Rob Dauster questioned how North Carolina will stop Scheyer’s rotations.”

My biggest concern is how are they gonna defend Duke? Like with or without Cooper Flagg, you are just so undermanned and so undersized.” He pointed out how even Duke’s guards are quite tall. Kon Knueppel, the Blue Devils sharpshooter, is six-foot-seven, and Tyrese Proctor? He’s six-foot-six. And that’s with both Brown and Flagg being injured.

North Carolina have a tall task ahead of them. Cooper Flagg’s absence has deprived Duke of a NPOY candidate, but they’re still strong. After all, Kon Knueppel single-handedly won them the game against Georgia Tech, scoring 28 points in Flagg’s absence. It will be interesting to see how the game progresses, especially considering the unique circumstances that both teams are in. For Davis, it’s do-or-die, and for Scheyer? It’s an opportunity to prove his squad’s mettle without their centerpiece. We can’t wait to see what happens!