The college basketball world held its collective breath on Thursday afternoon, as Duke freshman Cooper Flagg suffered an ankle injury in the Blue Devils’ game against Georgia Tech.
Duke is a national championship contender looking to solidify its standing as a top seed with a conference tournament win, and Flagg’s injury is obviously a major roadblock to that goal.
Duke trailed as Flagg was helped off the floor, and they eventually came back to win the game, but one ESPN announcer is facing criticism for his comment on Flagg’s family.
“You can see, of course, tremendous concern on the faces of Ralph and Kelly Flagg, Cooper’s parents,” said ESPN’s Cory Alexander.
“But I can tell you one thing, they are most concerned about the Blue Devils winning this game. That is their number one priority. They are all-in on Duke blue.”
Fans on social media criticized Alexander for his assessment of the moment, adding that Flagg’s family is likely concerned about his injury.
“There’s not a parent on earth more concerned about their kids team than their own kid. Especially when that kid is the #1 pick in the NBA draft getting ready to make millions,” one fan said.
“I don’t like being critical of broadcast media but as a fan of an ACC team that gets a lot of his calls, he really needs to be replaced. Incredibly hard to listen to his calls,” said another fan.
“As a parent, I’m fairly certain that’s not true,” one fan said.
“Zero chance that’s their biggest concern. This game is relatively meaningless compared to his future earning potential,” another fan added.
“WTF is this nonsense Cory?,” one fan asked.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – MARCH 13: Cooper Flagg #2 of the Duke Blue Devils looks on from the bench in the second half against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the quarterfinal round of the ACC men’s basketball tournament at Spectrum Center on March 13, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
Duke is advancing to the semifinals on Friday after Flagg’s injury, where they will face the winner of North Carolina vs Wake Forest.
The Blue Devils captured the regular season ACC title with last Saturday’s win against UNC, and they’re looking to win the conference tournament for the 23rd time – extending their own record.
Duke head coach Jon Scheyer has said that Cooper Flagg is a “longshot” to play in the semifinal game on Friday, making Duke’s path to the conference championship more difficult.
