It didn’t take long for things to get physical between North Carolina and Duke in the ACC Tournament semifinals on Friday. Just seven minutes into the game, North Carolina’s Jalen Washington was assessed a dead ball technical foul after hitting Duke’s Patrick Ngongba in the face after the whistle.
Ngongba seemingly retaliated on the following play by ripping the ball above his head and elbowing Jalen Washington in the face, causing the UNC big man’s nose to bleed. However, after review, the play was ruled a normal basketball move and no fouls were handed out.
It’s no surprise that sparks are flying early between the two rival programs. This is third time the two teams have met this season and North Carolina is looking to pick up its first win in the series. The Blue Devils won their previous two matchups against UNC this season by a combined 30 points.
However, Duke is at a significant disadvantage tonight. The team is without National Player of the Year frontrunner Cooper Flagg and junior forward Maliq Brown.
Flagg left Duke’s win over Georgia Tech on Thursday in the first half after spraining his ankle while coming down with a rebound. Duke fans initially feared the worst when Flagg was taken back to the locker room in a wheelchair.
Alas, Duke administered X-rays to Flagg and concluded its was merely a sprain. Now, the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft is resting up with hopes to return to the hardwood as soon as possible. Unfortunately for Duke fans, it doesn’t seem likely Flagg will return until the NCAA Tournament.
“To be honest with you, I would have to be convinced by everyone in the locker room when I go back that he should play. It’s not worth it. It just isn’t,” Duke head coach Jon Scheyer said, per The Athletic‘s Brendan Marks.
Cooper Flagg is averaging 19.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game this season while shooting 49.4% from the field and 37.7% from beyond the arc. After Duke’s win over North Carolina in its regular-season finale, Scheyer said Flagg deserves the National Player of the Year award.
“Look, I mean, for me, it’s Cooper,” Scheyer said on Saturday. “That’s not knocking anybody — I mean, we played [Auburn star Johni] Broome, he’s a great player — but Cooper, the way he impacts every aspect of the game, I don’t think we’ve seen in college for a long time.
“He impacts it in every way, and tonight’s a good example… But again, that’s not what Cooper plays for. That’s not what we play for. But obviously, recognition you always appreciate and is good. But we’ll keep control of what we can. That’s the best we can do.”
