Duke vs Louisville basketball injury report and predictions, March 15: Latest on player Cooper Flag, Maliq Brown and more

The top-seeded Duke Blue Devils (30-3, 19-1 ACC) will take on the No. 2 seed Louisville Cardinals (27-6, 18-2 ACC) in the ACC Tournament Championship match. The clash will take place on Saturday at Spectrum Center, with the matchup set to tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET.

The Blue Devils, without star player Cooper Flagg, held on for a 74-71 win over North Carolina in the semifinal on Friday night. Duke had a huge lead by halftime, but a late charge from the Tar Heels meant they had to dig deep for the win defensively.

Meanwhile, Louisville held on despite a late charge from Clemson to win 76-73 in the ACC Tournament semifinals on Friday night and will now hope to upset a Flagg-less Duke in the championship game.

The injuries will surely play a role in this matchup, with both teams dealing with the absence of important players.

Duke vs Louisville basketball injuries

Cooper Flagg, Duke Blue Devils

The Blue Devils' star freshman sprained his ankle during the first half of Duke’s 78-70 ACC Tournament quarterfinal win over Georgia Tech on Thursday.

He will not feature in the championship match, with the major focus now being on making him fit for the NCAA Tournament.

Maliq Brown, Duke Blue Devils

Brown re-dislocated his left shoulder, which has been a recurring issue throughout the season. He also went off injured in the win over Georgia Tech, and he is listed as injured for this match.

Reyne Smith, Louisville Cardinals

Smith is dealing with an ankle injury and is listed as questionable for the Cardinals ahead of Saturday’s matchup.

Kasean Pryor, Louisville Cardinals

Pryor has injured his leg and has been ruled out of the remainder of the 2024-25 season.

Koren Johnson, Louisville Cardinals

Johnson hurt his shoulder and has had surgery. He will miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season for the Cardinals.

Duke vs Louisville basketball prediction

Earlier this season, Duke came back from 14 points down to beat Louisville 76-65 in Kentucky, marking their sixth straight win against the Cardinals.

The Blue Devils also have a strong record against Louisville in the ACC Tournament, winning in both 2021 and 2017.

While Louisville would be looking to take advantage of Flagg’s absence, Duke’s deep roster will prove their strength once again.

Prediction: Duke 78, Louisville 71