Duke Wins ACC Title With Cooper Flagg Out as CBB Fans Praise Team as Bracket's Best

Duke clinched the 2025 ACC tournament title on Saturday night, taking down Louisville by the final score of 73-62 at the Spectrum Center.

It was an impressive performance from a Blue Devils team missing star freshman Cooper Flagg, who was ruled out prior to the game due a sprained ankle.

The contest was a back-and-forth affair throughout the first half, with Louisville holding a 38-33 lead at halftime.

Duke caught fire from three-point territory to open the second half, immediately going on a 27-11 run to take a double-digit lead over the Cardinals. Louisville wasn't able to stay within striking distance for the rest of the game.

Tyrese Proctor stepped up in Flagg's absence for Duke, scoring 19 points and dishing out two assists. Proctor shot 6-of-14 on threes, with all of his field-goal attempts coming from behind the arc.

Freshman guard Kon Knueppel finished with 18 points of his own, shooting 50 percent from the field despite missing all five of his long-range attempts. Knueppel also made his presence felt on the glass, securing eight rebounds.

After the Blue Devils wrapped up the convincing win without Flagg, fans were excited about their March Madness future.

Duke has now won the ACC tournament in two of the past three years. The Blue Devils also clinched their first conference tournament title under head coach Jon Scheyer, as they're set to enter March Madness at 31-3 on the season.