The Auburn Tigers and Duke Blue Devils met in December with Duke coming out on top 84-78 in Durham. It seems the two programs have been heavily linked ever since that meeting.
Auburn and Duke were No. 1 and No. 2 most of the year with the Blue Devils trailing the Tigers despite the head to head win. A big part of the reasoning was Duke’s schedule. Ironically, the last team Duke played that was ranked when they met was… Auburn.
It’s not just the two teams that have been on a collision course. Auburn’s Johni Broome and Duke’s Cooper Flagg are runaway favorites for multiple player of the year awards. Broome already took home the Sporting New Player of the Year this week, but Flagg will certainly get his share.
Unfortunately for the Blue Devils, Flagg suffered an ankle injury in their ACC tournament game against Georgia Tech on Thursday afternoon.
Cooper Flagg exited the game and was helped to the locker room after appearing to injure his left ankle in the first half against Georgia Tech. pic.twitter.com/EiUslVt0ZM
— ESPN (@espn) March 13, 2025
Flagg appeared to roll his left ankle when coming down for a rebound. He exited the game and was helped to the locker room.
While not conclusive, Flagg was in a wheelchair following the injury.
Cooper Flagg is in a wheelchair being taken to get examined. pic.twitter.com/qH1DCIOwCV
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) March 13, 2025
Flagg did not return to the game which Duke won, but he was seen following the game walking without a limp.
The opening round for the NCAA tournament starts next week, and Duke is sure to be a No. 1 seed. That should help them survive the weekend if Flagg needs more time to recover.
Auburn would be happy to meet Duke again in the Final Four or in the championship game, but they’d like to do it against a full-strength Blue Devils squad. The tournament will be more exciting with one of the game’s brightest young stars available.
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