TJ Long Injury: What happened to the Vermont guard in game vs Duke?

Vermont v Duke — TJ Long suffered a non-contact injury

While March Madness is full of excitement and thrilling moments, injuries do occur. In the first-round matchup in the South Region of the 2024 NCAA Tournament between the No. 13 Vermont Catamounts and the No. 4 Duke Blue Devils, Catamounts guard TJ Long suffered a non-contact injury.

With less than 90 seconds remaining in the game, Vermont was able to get a defensive rebound and Long got ahead of the defender on a fastbreak attempt. However, when attempting the layup it appears he injured his right knee and was unable to get much lift off the ground. Long remained on the ground in pain as training staff attended to him.

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While they continue to wait on imaging to see the full extent of the injury, Vermont coach John Becker said after the game that the initial hope is that Long avoided a catastrophic injury to his knee as he left the locker room on crutches.

TJ Long struggled throughout the game, finishing with three points, four rebounds, three assists and a steal against Duke.

Also Read: Ryan Langborg stats: How did the Northwestern guard perform in First Round March Madness matchup against Florida Atlantic?

Can the Duke Blue Devils win the NCAA Tournament?

While the Duke Blue Devils were able to convincingly win their Round of 64 game against the Vermont Catamounts 64-47, the road does not get any easier for them. They play the winner of the Wisconsin Badgers versus James Madison Dukes game on Sunday to survive the weekend.

According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Duke Blue Devils have the 11th-best betting odds to win the 2024 NCAA Tournament (+3000). The region is tough in itself as the Marquette Golden Eagles have already won their game, but there were some upsets as the ninth, 10th, 11th and 14th seeds in the region have also won thus far.

With the injuries that Duke suffered like guard Caleb Foster being ruled out for March Madness with a stress fracture in his ankle, it is difficult to expect them to win. Not to mention being in the same region as Marquette and Houston. While it is certainly not impossible, Duke has some massive obstacles to overcome to make the Final Four, let alone cut down the nets.

Also Read: "First tournament win in 55 years!" LeBron James congratulates No. 11 seeded Duquesne on first NCAA tourney victory since 1969

Do you think Duke can go all the way and win March Madness this year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.