"This team is special": Fans go wild after Duke wins ACC Tournament championship without Cooper Flagg

Jon Scheyer's Duke Blue Devils stayed the course and defeated the No. 13 seed Louisville Cardinals 73-62 in the ACC tournament championship game on Saturday.

That victory won them the ACC tournament championship, and they did it without the services of their star player, Cooper Flagg. Flagg has been nursing an ankle injury since their 78-70 quarterfinal triumph over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

Duke fans rejoiced on X:

"This team is special," one fan said.

"Great game by your ball club #class," another fan said.

"Big ups, y'all were simply just better in the 2nd half," another user asserted.

Others are looking on to a potential national championship berth with their freshman sensation in Flagg set to return:

"You’re looking at the No. 1 overall seed!," one fan claimed.

"Now time to get the trophy we want the most," another fan posted.

"When adversity hit, this team showed their resilience again as they have all season in these moments. Locked in offensively and on the glass, but most importantly played lights out defense. Worthy ACC champs, job ain't finished, it's tourney time. Time to go win a Natty! DDMF!," a fan wrote.

"No Flagg, no matter," a fan shared with a trophy emoji.

Duke was paced by veteran guard Tyrese Proctor, who had 19 points, a rebound, two assists and a steal while first-year standout Kon Knueppel dropped 18 markers on a 6-of-12 clip, eight boards, three dimes and two steals.

Duke Blue Devils notch their 23rd ACC Tournament championship of all time

With another ACC tournament title, the Duke Blue Devils now hold 23 total conference postseason championships in their program's history - the most in the league. They widen the gap on their longtime rivals in the UNC Tar Heels in the number of ACC tournament titles as they have 18 to their name.

The Blue Devils now set their sights on the NCAA national tournament later this month, where they are expected to be the top seed after Selection Sunday on March 15.