Top-ranked Duke played without Cooper Flagg and Maliq Brown in its win against rival North Carolina in the Atlantic Conference Tournament because of injuries.

Duke basketball's Maliq Brown has missed four games with a shoulder injury. Head coach Jon Scheyer provided an update on Thursday afternoon.

The Duke basketball team opened up their ACC Tournament run against Georgia Tech on Thursday, and the first half of the game has not gone to plan for the Blue Devils. Georgia Tech led by as many as 14 points in the first half, and the injury bug has hit Duke. Star freshman Cooper Flagg and forward Maliq Brown both went down with injuries.

In Sunday’s NCAA Tournament Selection Show, the Blue Devils locked down a No. 1 seed in the East Region. They will tip off against the winner of the play-in game between American and Mount St. Mary’s to begin the madness in Raleigh.

Duke, the winners of the ACC Tournament, received a No. 1 seed in the East Region. Why it matters: North Carolina's appearance in the tournament was not a given, with many experts pointing to their weak showing against elite teams this season.