Duke vs Kentucky basketball injury report, November 12: Latest on Cooper Flagg, Kerr Kriisa and more
The Duke Blue Devils (2-0) and Kentucky Wildcats (2-0) will compete in an all-important clash on Tuesday at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Tipoff is scheduled at 9:00 p.m. ET and ESPN will cover the game live on television.
The game is part of the Champions Classic doubleheader, which also features Michigan State and No. 1 Kansas in the opener at 6:30 p.m. ET. The Duke-Kentucky showdown features the second-winningest (Kentucky) and fourth-winningest (Duke) teams in the NCAA.
It is the 24th time both teams faced each other with Kentucky leading the head-to-head, 12-11. Wednesday's clash will feature Cooper Flagg — the No. 1 freshman in the Class of 2024 – and the new-look Wildcats lineup led by guard Kerr Kriisa.
The players were reported to have health issues in their previous games but suited up during tipoff and provided great contributions for their squads during those victories.
No. 23 Kentucky is coming off a 100-72 win over Bucknell on Saturday while No. 6 Duke is fresh from a 100-58 victory over Army on Friday.
Duke basketball injury report
Although Duke has run over Maine and Army in its first two games, the issue of Cooper Flagg cramping in the second half against the Black Knights is a concern for Jon Scheyer and the team staff.
Cooper Flagg
Flagg, who finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds, played 19 minutes in the first half but only appeared in six minutes in the second half as he complained of cramps. Scheyer noted in an interview via MSN.com on Monday they are concerned with the situation and pledged to help him as soon as possible.
"We've got to help him. He's doing everything he needs to in preparation. He prepares his butt off: he drinks, eats the right way, does everything he needs to. We've got to help him take care of this. Now," Scheyer said.
In the 2021-22 season, the Blue Devils faced a similar situation with Paolo Banchero, who struggled early in the season due to cramps.
The Duke coaching and conditioning staff were given three days to address Flagg's situation and hopefully, he'll be at full strength in this all-important clash against Kentucky.
Kentucky basketball injury report
Kentucky has been on a tear in its first two games, averaging 101.5 points per outing. The offensive outburst was due to the system employed by new coach Mark Pope.
There was a concern in Kentucky's guard spot, particularly with West Virginia transfer Kerr Kriisa. The 6-foot-3 guard reportedly sustained a minor hamstring injury.
Kerr Kriisa
Kriisa suffered a minor hamstring issue while conditioning for the Blue-White Scrimmage, but he was cleared to play in the regular-season games against Wright State and Bucknell.
In Kentucky's first game against Wright State, Kriisa suited up for 14 minutes off the bench and finished with one rebound, five assists and one steal. He missed all of his two attempts from the field and had one turnover.
The senior guard from Tartu, Estonia, bounced back from his scoreless outing, scoring six points, on 2-of-5 shooting from the field — all from the 3-point area. He also tallied four rebounds, 12 assists and one block in 21 minutes of action.
Kerr Kriisa has been a spark off the bench for Mark Pope's men and the Wildcats will need his energy against Duke.
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