So there's no great reason for Cooper Flagg to play Friday against North Carolina in the ACC Tournament semifinals one day after spraining his left ankle in a win over Georgia Tech. A potential Flagg absence would be good for UNC and likely best for a Duke program with eyes on a bigger prize.

Duke basketball player exits first half vs Georgia Tech. BROWN INJURY UPDATE: Maliq Brown injury update: Duke basketball player ex

Conference tournaments are already underway and March Madness is right around the corner. Here's all the action that's happening on Thursday as more marquee teams start play.

It's possible Duke and Houston will end up as No. 1 seeds in the 2025 NCAA Tournament regardless of what happens in their respective conference tournaments, in part because both have gone all season without taking a loss outside of Quadrant 1.

Avoid Duke. Just don't play them. If you see them on your schedule, ask if you can play someone else instead. If that's not possible, and you have to take the court against the Blue Devils, well, Godspeed.