Tag: Caleb Foster

ESPN lists Duke as the No. 1 team in their Way-Too-Early Top 25

Duke the top team in the country in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25.

Less than 48 hours after Dan Hurley’s Connecticut Huskies completed one of the rare college basketball feats of repeating as national champions, the page has already turned to 2024-25 for the rest of the college basketball world.

ESPN made sure to get its Way-Too-Early Top 25 up late on Monday night, and the number one team in those rankings resides in Durham, NC.

Duke bowed out of the NCAA Tournament this season in the Elite Eight to an NC State team that spent the last 12 games playing incredibly inspired basketball. Duke led in the first half, but State overwhelmed Duke with incredible shotmaking and suffocating defense in the second half to send the Blue Devils home.

Duke is now in the process of reflecting and retooling for next year. There’s a renewed energy around the program as Scheyer will welcome the nation’s top recruiting class, highlighted by one of the most heralded number one high school basketball players since LeBron James, forward Cooper Flagg.

ESPN staff writer Jeff Borzello, who put the rankings together, said this about his decision to put the Blue Devils at the top spot.

“Duke entered this past season as a national title contender, but never quite seemed to put it all together for an extended stretch and ultimately fell in the Elite Eight. Jon Scheyer will have two of the best NBA prospects in the country next season, in No. 1 recruit Cooper Flagg and projected top-five NBA draft pick Khaman Maluach, but the Blue Devils could have point guard issues if Jeremy Roach decides not to take advantage of his fifth option year.”

Borzello also published a projected starting five that featured Flagg, Tyrese Proctor, Caleb Foster, Mark Mitchell, and Maluach. The issue is that Mitchell announced his intent to enter the transfer portal on Tuesday afternoon, so he will not be on the 2024-25 version of the Duke Blue Devils. Duke will likely opt to find a shooter to help space the floor with Flagg and also give those minutes vacated by Mitchell to rising sophomore Sean Stewart should he opt to return.

Tyrese Proctor has not announced whether he plans to enter the portal, opt for professional opportunities, or return to Duke. If we assume Proctor returns, he’s likely a captain and must leap like Wendell Moore. There’s a lot of talent there, but it needs to become consistent. A decision from Jeremy Roach also remains up in the air, and having a fifth-year senior could be massive.

All that aside, Duke plans to utilize the transfer portal, too, so Duke’s roster construction for next year is far from done, with more names expected on their way out, i.e., Kyle Filipowski and Jared McCain, expected to be drafted in the first round.

Caleb Foster seen stretching with the team during practice

Freshman guard Caleb Foster was ruled out for the year after a stress fracture in his ankle, but Blue Devils fans got a silent but promising update on Thursday.

Caleb Foster’s 2023-24 season may be over, but Duke fans got a promising update on Thursday, albeit a silent one.

The freshman guard was ruled out for the postseason one week ago after he suffered a stress fracture against Wake Forest in February. On Thursday, however, he was seen stretching with the team during a practice session ahead of Friday’s game against Houston.

Devils Illustrated’s Conor O’Neill shared a photo of the first-year Blue Devil on social media. Foster wasn’t sporting the walking boot he wore on the bench after the injury, either.

Duke fans won’t see Foster on the court again until next fall, but the sight of him with the team in March means he’ll almost assuredly be 100% once next season rolls around.

Foster averaged 7.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in his first year with the team, and the North Carolina native made 40% of his 3-point attempts.

Caleb Foster to miss NCAA Tournament, Jon Scheyer confirms

Caleb Foster will miss the remainder of the season with a stress fracture injury, Jon Scheyer confirms.

Duke freshman guard Caleb Foster will miss the remainder of the season with a stress fracture in his ankle, head coach Jon Scheyer announced on Thursday.

Foster had not played since he suffered the injury against Wake Forest on Feb. 24, missing the rest of the regular season. After he became a pivotal part of the Blue Devils’ rotation late in the season, starting 15 games and averaging 25.4 minutes per game, he will now be out for Duke’s NCAA Tournament run.

The freshman guard averaged 7.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game before he got hurt. He was also efficient from beyond the arc, shooting 40.6% from deep, the second-best mark on the team in the regular season.

Sophomore guard Tyrese Proctor returned to the starting lineup in place of the injured Foster. The Australian will likely continue to be the starter during Duke’s NCAA Tournament run.

Duke’s NCAA Tournament run begins against No. 13 Vermont on Friday evening with tipoff set for 7:10 p.m. ET.

Caleb Foster ‘a long shot’ to play in ACC Tournament, Scheyer says

Freshman guard Caleb Foster’s season seems closer and closer to over after Duke head coach Jon Scheyer had a non-optimistic update on Saturday.

Duke fans shouldn’t expect to see freshman Caleb Foster in this week’s ACC Tournament, according to head coach Jon Scheyer.

The 6-foot-5 guard injured his ankle against Wake Forest last month, and Duke’s coach didn’t sound very encouraged by his odds to suit up in Washington D.C.

“It’s a long shot at best he’s able to be ready to play,” Scheyer said after the North Carolina loss on Saturday. “I think it’s very unlikely.”

“He’s doing everything that he can and progressing, but he’s not close.”

Foster was seen in a walking boot at Duke’s last home games.

Duke clinched the second seed in the ACC Tournament, meaning the Blue Devils won’t play until the conference quarterfinals on Thursday.

The NCAA Tournament starts soon after, and given the nature of Scheyer’s words, it seems more likely than not that we’ve seen Caleb Foster for the last time this season.

‘He’s not there yet’: Scheyer’s brief Caleb Foster update

Freshman guard Caleb Foster won’t be available for Saturday’s game against North Carolina, Jon Scheyer confirmed, and he remains very much in doubt for the postseason.

As most Duke fans suspected at this point, Caleb Foster’s regular season is officially over.

Head coach Jon Scheyer confirmed on Thursday that Foster won’t be ready to go for the North Carolina game over the weekend.

“He’s not there yet,” Scheyer said.

Foster still hasn’t been cleared to return to practice, and with the ACC Tournament and NCAA Tournament imminent, there’s reason to question if he’ll play again this season.

The freshman guard has remained sidelined since he suffered an ankle injury in the second half against Wake Forest two weeks ago. Last week, Scheyer said the team would be without the 6-foot-5 guard “for some time” and said he was heartbroken for the first-year Blue Devil.

So far in Foster’s absence, Duke has cemented sophomore Tyrese Proctor as a starter and turned to freshmen forwards Sean Stewart and TJ Power for sizable bench minutes. Expect those trends to continue against the Tar Heels.

Three keys to a Duke victory against UNC

Taking a look at three keys to a Duke win vs UNC on Saturday as the Blue Devils close out the regular season.

It is time for the round two.

Tobacco Road’s biggest titans are set to square off one final time for the regular season on Saturday evening. The stakes will be a bit higher than they were when the two hit the hardwood the first time in February. An outright ACC title is on the line for UNC while a share of the ACC title is still up for grabs for Duke.

That doesn’t even include the possible implications for NCAA Tournament seeding either. Both schools are still firmly in the mix for a No. 2 seed at this juncture, and a massive Quad 1 win like this would only boost that case.

All those storylines aside, it’s Duke and North Carolina. The bragging rights matter and Duke, specifically, has revenge on their mind.

The loss in Chapel Hill in February felt like a lifetime ago. Duke played passively, didn’t play a crisp game (nine of their eleven turnovers were live ball), and defensively, they had some major hiccups.

Credit is due to the Tar Heels. They played great. But Duke didn’t put forth their best effort.

Saturday gives the Blue Devils one final chance to show how much of a force they’ve become. There is no mistaking them now. They’ve got a bench unit that’s starting to flourish despite being without Caleb Foster at least through the ACC Tournament, per head coach Jon Scheyer. And Tyrese Proctor has found his swagger again.

These all bring us to our three keys for the game on Saturday.

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie

Duke’s chances to truly be Final Four contenders rest on the shoulders of their sophomore Australian point guard, Tyrese Proctor. Proctor can control and dictate a game on both ends. In the first UNC matchup, he played 26 minutes and scored two points on 1/6 shooting. It felt as if he wasn’t even out there at points. He wasn’t aggressive, and he seemed reluctant to get downhill.

In the last three games, he’s found himself. He kept Duke afloat early in Raleigh despite NC State connecting on the first punch. His 11 first-half points, spearheaded by three massive three-pointers, kept Duke from spiraling. He can shoot, he can pass and he can defend. All three of those things Duke will need against UNC.

Look for Proctor to be a factor early.

The bench needs to show up

Ryan Young, Sean Stewart, and TJ Power look solidified as Duke’s bench right now. Caleb Foster joins that when, or if, he gets back, and Duke officially is nine deep.

For right now, they are eight deep, and that will have to be enough. Power and Stewart have started to become consistent players off the bench in the last three games. Stewart had his best game as a collegiate player against NC State. He played 26 minutes and had 12 points, five rebounds (four offensive), three blocks, two assists, and two steals. It was incredible. If Stewart provides that kind of impact, Ryan Young hits the glass, and TJ Power can hit one or two open threes, Duke will be in a much better position to win.

Defending Bacot

RJ Davis is likely going to win ACC Player of the Year. And rightfully so. He’s had a phenomenal season. Davis can get his season average in points. Stopping fellow senior Armando Bacot is the real challenge for Duke. They have bodies to throw at him, but in an attempt to limit foul trouble for Flip, they tried to double Bacot last game and it helped result in open threes or driving lanes for others.

How Jon Scheyer and this coaching staff choose to play Bacot matters. Do they double him? If they do, do they leave Elliot Cadeau, a 21% 3-point shooter, open and force him to shoot the ball? Or do they play Bacot straight up and leave Flip to defend him one-on-one? Either way, one wrong decision would be to leave Harrison Ingram open. He shot 5/9 from distance in game one. 

That’s the game within the game and one matchup that will likely decide the winner. 

Senior night for captain Jeremy Roach, Ryan Young, and Spencer Hubbard. A share of the ACC title is on the line for Duke. The number one seed in the ACC Tournament is still up for grabs. All the storylines are there. Duke just needs to play a bit cleaner than they did in Chapel Hill and they’ll have a chance to wrap up a very good regular season.

The man in the mirror is the final hurdle Duke must clear as they prepare for rematch with UNC

The Duke Blue Devils have to win against themselves in order to win against UNC.

Sir Edmund Hillary said it best: “It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.”

It feels like the perfect quote to summarise the Duke basketball experience this year and focus on what’s ahead of the team as they prepare to try and get revenge for an early February loss to their rivals, UNC. The Blue Devils have been fighting the team in the mirror all season. It’s time they conquer that.

If they can, the Blue Devils will head to Washington, D.C., for the ACC Tournament, with their share of the 2023-2024 ACC regular season title; if the Tar Heels win, they are the outright title winners. Losing that also likely eliminates Duke from having any shot at a 2-seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

For Duke, it’s simple: UNC is the best opponent (not named Arizona or Baylor) on their schedule. They beat Baylor in Madison Square Garden, which stands out as a great Quad 1 win, but the Blue Devils know they need more. Hubert Davis’ team is undoubtedly in the Final Four-capable tier of teams, so a win against North Carolina would be the perfect confirmation that this Duke team has grown and evolved and is playing its best basketball.

It’s easier said than done, as UNC will have everything to play for on top of the sheer fact that this is a rivalry, and it could be Armando Bacot and RJ Davis’ last game against Duke ever. They’ve ruined big nights in Cameron Indoor Stadium before.

Duke played a rough basketball game against UNC in the first round in Chapel Hill. They were not strong on the court, and their defensive plan wasn’t strong. Ultimately, the Heels just played better.

Duke shot 26.3% from three, compared to almost 38% from UNC. Harrison Ingram was the thorn in Duke’s side from the outside, going 5/9 from deep. Duke also had 11 turnovers, which led to 19 UNC points. Eight of those turnovers were live-ball, which makes it even harder to get back on defense against a transition offense-focused team like UNC.

Kyle Filipowski struggled with foul trouble, and when his team needed him to contain Armando Bacot without a double team, he couldn’t. Tyrese Proctor had one of his worst games, registering just two points and one assist on 1/6 shooting in 26 minutes.

So, what has to change this time around? Duke has to put together a complete performance as they have in games on the road at Miami, NC State, Virginia Tech, or as they did recently at home versus Virginia. This team has shown that it can play a full 40 minutes on both ends of the court, and when they can, they will blow teams away, as eight of their conference wins have been by 15 points or more.

Duke is a deeper team now. The bench has lengthened a much-needed development due to limitations with guys like Jaylen Blakes and Ryan Young. They are decent role players but certainly guys with deficiencies. The answers were the 6-foot-9 five-star freshman Sean Stewart and the 6-foot-8 four-star small forward TJ Power.

Power’s shooting ability is among the best on a team of great shooters this season, but the lack of opportunities hasn’t allowed him to showcase that. Stewart is hyper-athletic and an incredible shot disruptor combined with pure energy and hustle, allowing him to provide the energy on 50/50 plays Duke needs.

Each player has played at least 10 minutes in the last three games. Stewart had a season-high 26 minutes of game action at NC State, where he had his proverbial breakout game, scoring 12 points, five rebounds, three blocks, two steals, and two assists. He was a menace on defense, and four rebounds came on the offensive glass, giving Duke extra possessions.

They must be factors in this rematch, and the rest of the team needs to be more assertive with the ball. If Duke hadn’t been forced into so many live-ball turnovers, they could’ve shaved off at least six points they allowed. Tyrese Proctor must play better, especially considering Caleb Foster will still be out. He’s had some encouraging performances since being inserted back into the starting lineup with Foster out, and Monday night in Raleigh showcased that.

Kyle Filipowski needs to be a factor for the entire 40 minutes. Jon Scheyer must find a better way to defend Bacot while not allowing RJ Davis to explode. Do not respect Elliot Cadeau’s shot. Make him shoot more jumpers than layups, and respect Ingram as a solid spot-up shooter.

It won’t be easy, but Duke can beat UNC. Aside from the implications mentioned above about the ACC title, this win is about Duke playing well enough to beat an elite opponent as it pursues a sixth NCAA title in two weeks.

They missed the mark early against Arizona and in Chapel Hill. In both games, Duke was the loser, but there was a clear sense that Duke didn’t play well enough to beat that caliber of team. Can they conquer themselves and raise their level of play to conquer their goals? We’ll find out on Saturday.

Five takeaways from Duke’s blowout 73-48 win over Virginia

Five takeaways from Duke’s dismantling of the Virginia Cavaliers.

Saturday was a fun time in Cameron. Everything went right for the Duke Blue Devils as they dismantled Tony Bennett’s UVA team 73-48 as the Blue Devils kicked off March.

From the opening tip, it was apparent that Duke was more focused, prepared, and simply the better team. Kyle Filipowski was dominant, Tyrese Proctor was as well, and the Blue Devils put together one of their most complete performances of the season.

It was a magnificent showing and shows that if Duke has officially turned the corner and is playing their best basketball like this as the next few weeks go on, they’ll give themselves the chance to extend their season into April.

It’s time to share our five takeaways from the easy win.

Which five Blue Devils need to step up the most in Caleb Foster’s absence?

All signs point to the Blue Devils being without freshman guard Caleb Foster, one of six players averaging more than 15 minutes per game, for the postseason. Who needs to fill the void in his absence?

There hasn’t been an official timeline from the team, but all signs seem to indicate freshman guard Caleb Foster will miss most of the postseason, if not the entire thing.

The 6-foot-5 North Carolina native was seen in a walking boot on the bench during Wednesday’s win over Louisville, and head coach Jon Scheyer said the team will be without him “for some time” after the game.

With less than six weeks between then and the national championship, the lack of timetable seems to give Foster low odds for another appearance in 2023-24.

Foster will be dearly missed. He is one of only six Duke players averaging more than 12 minutes per game this season, and he added 7.7 points and 40.6% 3-point shooting to the Blue Devils high-flying offense.

Here are five Duke players who need to step up and help fill the void during Foster’s absence, however long it may be.

Duke sits as top No. 3 seed in Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology update

Where is Duke seeded in Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology update after Saturday’s loss to Wake Forest?

The Duke Blue Devils sit at the bottom of the No. 3 seed line as the 12th overall seed in Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology update.

They slipped down a few spots after Duke’s 83-79 loss to Wake Forest on Saturday, a road loss that pushed the Demon Deacons into the tournament field.

Duke is 21-6 and 12-4 in the ACC after Saturday’s defeat, which ended a five-game win streak for the Blue Devils.

The Blue Devils remain the second-highest ACC team in the ESPN bracketologist’s rankings behind the North Carolina Tar Heels, who are currently a No. 2 seed in Lunardi’s projections. The conference has five projected tournament teams after Wake moved inside the bubble, joining Clemson and Virginia in the current bracket.

https://twitter.com/ESPNLunardi/status/1761758961726845088/photo/1

Any path to a higher seed became murkier after the game when star player Kyle Filipowski suffered a leg injury during Wake Forest’s court-storming after he was caught in a swarm of fans.

Freshman guard Caleb Foster also picked up an ankle injury in the second half of the game Saturday.