Bracketology: Duke and North Carolina face battle in the ACC Tournament, but Cooper Flagg's injury raises concerns
If the top freshman loses in the quarterfinals on Thursday, that may have a significant impact.
On Thursday, something happened in the ACC Tournament that may affect teams at both ends of the bracket.
Cooper Flagg, a freshman and All-American for Duke, injured his ankle during the first half of the Blue Devils' ACC quarterfinal victory against Georgia Tech. Although the length of his absence is uncertain, Duke coach Jon Scheyer sounded extremely doubtful that he would be ready to participate in Friday's semifinal matchup with North Carolina.
That begs two questions: Will the Blue Devils' seed be impacted if North Carolina defeats Duke? And if the Tar Heels do not win the ACC, would the committee ignore their victory and exclude them from the tournament?
The first thing we should discuss is what the committee will not do. If both sides were playing at their best, it will not be assumed that the outcome would be different. The outcome is the outcome. Duke remains the top seed even if they lose, while North Carolina would probably secure a berth in the bracket with a victory on Friday.
If Flagg were declared out for the season and the committee decided that the team was so weak that a seed change was necessary, that could potentially alter Duke's result.
It has happened before, but it has been a long time. In 2000, under the leadership of National Player of the Year Kenyon Martin, Cincinnati was the top team in the nation. Martin broke his leg in the first few minutes of the Bearcats' first conference tournament game, and the committee decided that Cincinnati would be a 2-seed rather than the overall No. 1 because of the Bearcats' loss in the second round that year. Although it is highly unlikely that it will be possible to predict whether Flagg will miss the season before Selection Sunday, if this injury persists, Duke supporters must worry about the Blue Devils' chances if it persists.
