There was a development in the ACC Tournament on Thursday that could have ramifications at both ends of the bracket. Duke All-American freshman Cooper Flagg suffered a sprained ankle in the first half of the Blue Devils' win over Georgia Tech in the ACC quarterfinals.

Injuries to Cooper Flagg and Maliq Brown overshadowed Duke basketball's comeback win against Georgia Tech at the ACC Tournament.

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

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 freshman Cooper Flagg appeared to injure his left ankle after slipping under the basket and was helped to the locker room by two teammates late in the first half. He did not return.

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.

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.