ACC Player of the Year Cooper Flagg was ruled out for Duke's conference tournament semifinal matchup with North Carolina on Friday night in Charlotte. Flagg sprained his left ankle in the first half of Duke's quarterfinal victory over Georgia Tech on Thursday and did not return to the game.

North Carolina just blew its shot at the ACC Tournament championship game in perhaps the worst way possible. With just 4.1 seconds left in the semifinal matchup against No. 1 seed Duke on Friday, UNC was called for a lane violation on a potential game-tying free throw.

Duke’s chances to advance become more difficult without its leader in every major category and its stalwart defender whose praises are sung by every member of his team. But the Blue Devils’ 78-70 win against Georgia Tech Thursday showcased a path to success.