On March 14, Beijing time, in a game between Duke University and Georgia Institute of Technology, the top favorite Cooper Flagg was helped off the court at the end of the first half due to a left ankle injury.

At halftime, Flagg was seen in a wheelchair and taken to the X-ray room for examination. He walked back to the bench on his own shortly after the start of the second half, without a protective boot on his foot, but he did not return to the game that would result in Duke's 78-70 victory.

ESPN reported that Flagg's X-rays were negative, meaning he did not have a fracture, but Duke University said his ankle was swollen severely.

Flagg jumped up and grabbed the rebound when no one was scrambling, and when he landed, his left foot appeared to step on the foot of Georgia Tech's Darien Sutton before falling to the ground.

As ACC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year, Flagg limped back to the bench, apparently in pain, bending over his chair with his hands and pounding the chair with his right fist, shouting at Fark and covering his face with a towel.

After a few minutes on the bench, Flagg got up, put his arms around his two teammates, and was helped to the locker room for inspection. During the regular season, Flagg averaged 19.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game for Duke University (28-3).

In the latest ESPN draft mock rankings, Flagg is still at the top of the list. Previously, it was rumored that Flagg would consider staying with Duke for another season, but many experts believe that there is no need for this, and some American media said that if Flagg enters the NBA a year later, the total loss of this year will be about $45 million.