Tag: Caleb Foster

Caleb Foster says he feels better than ever after last season’s ankle injury

Returning Duke basketball starter Caleb Foster sounded confident in his recovery from last year’s ankle injury on Wednesday.

Caleb Foster’s freshman season with the Duke Blue Devils went well, resulting in 7.7 points per game with more than two rebounds and assists apiece, but it came to an unfortunate early conclusion.

Foster missed most of the second half of the Wake Forest game on February 24 due to an ankle injury which turned out to be a stress fracture that sidelined him for the rest of the year.

He watched from the sidelines as his teammates reached the Elite Eight, but as one of the team’s two returning starters in 2024-25, he sounded confident in his recovery process during Wednesday’s ACC Tipoff.

“I’m blessed to be back out there 100 percent,” Foster said. “I feel the best I’ve ever felt so I’m ready to get this season kicked off and get to work.”

Foster said the recovery process was the longest he’d gone without playing basketball, but his teammates, notably roommate Tyrese Proctor, helped keep him positive throughout the experience. The sophomore felt like he learned a lot watching the 2023-24 Blue Devils move through the postseason.

“I got to live through them and experience the tournament through them,” Foster said.

When the regular season begins on November 4, it’ll be Foster’s turn to guide Duke toward a national championship.

Caleb Foster says one new teammate could be the ‘best defender in college basketball’

Caleb Foster thinks first-year Blue Devil Maliq Brown could be the best defender not just on the Duke roster, but in the entire country.

Even though it’s only [autotag]Jon Scheyer[/autotag]’s third full season as the Duke basketball head coach, he’s been around long enough to take most media questions in stride.

During Wednesday’s press conference at ACC Tipoff, however, an inquiry about Syracuse transfer Maliq Brown got him to light up.

“I’m glad you asked about Maliq,” Scheyer said. “I haven’t been asked about him as much.”

“Great versatility, really does whatever you ask him to do,” Scheyer continued. “Great competitor, but just such a great teammate. Selfless, doesn’t care about his own stats…I’ve loved coaching him.”

Brown averaged 9.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game with the Orange last season, including a season-high 26 points against the Blue Devils in Cameron Indoor Stadium. He’s remarkably efficient, shooting 69.8% from the floor in both of his collegiate seasons, and according to KenPom, he led the ACC with an effective field goal percentage of 71.3%. No other player in the conference finished better than 61.8%.

Scheyer praised Brown’s intelligence and passing ability, but he really focused on the other side of the ball. The Blue Devils coach said he and his staff measure deflections during offseason scrimmages, and the junior forward does better in that category than any player he’s ever had.

“Somebody should ask these guys if they like trying to score on him,” Scheyer said, pointing to returning starters Caleb Foster and Tyrese Proctor.

Foster, somehow, sounded even more complimentary of his new teammate.

“Maliq is one of the best defenders I’ve ever played against,” the sophomore said. “His activity on and off the ball is just unmatched, and I think he has a chance to be the best defender in college basketball this year.”

While Brown won’t make his regular-season debut with the Blue Devils until November 4, he’ll take the court at Cameron again in an exhibition game against Lincoln on October 19.

Caleb Foster and Tyrese Proctor say Duke basketball will play fast in 2024-25

“We’ve just been running,” Duke basketball’s Caleb Foster said on The Brotherhood Podcast this week, preparing fans for a more up-tempo team.

It makes sense that a basketball team that lost 10 players this offseason won’t look the same on the court, but returning Duke starters [autotag]Tyrese Proctor[/autotag] and [autotag]Caleb Foster[/autotag] have still noticed some key differences during early workouts.

According to a Tuesday episode of The Brotherhood Podcast, the two Blue Devils think this year’s tempo will look completely different from the 2023-24 team.

“We’re going to be playing fast, bro,” Proctor told his teammate.

“In practice, we’ve just been running,” Foster responded. “We learned how to play fast, get up and down the court, and one big thing for me is I feel like we’re just picking up things a lot quicker.”

Duke ran one of the most efficient offenses in the nation last year, finishing eighth in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency metric, but the Blue Devils finished outside of the top 250 in the site’s adjusted tempo rankings. With every player on the roster standing at least 6-foot-5 and the athleticism that freshman [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] and others bring to the table, additional speed will obviously play into Duke’s hands.

The Blue Devils make their on-court debut at the Countdown to Craziness on October 4.

Duke basketball players emphasize once again how competitive the 2024-25 roster is

Duke basketball stars Caleb Foster and Tyrese Proctor emphasized how competitive this year’s team is on The Brotherhood Podcast this week.

If there’s one word Duke basketball fans have heard get thrown around all summer about the 2024-25 Blue Devils, it’s ‘competitive.’

Head coach [autotag]Jon Scheyer[/autotag] said he sought out top-ranked freshman [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] for how seriously he treats every practice, and the Blue Devils coach told his roster that no player would be guaranteed minutes on the court.

During a Tuesday episode of The Brotherhood Podcast, returning starters Caleb Foster and Tyrese Proctor fell back on that same word to describe their new teammates.

Foster, who averaged 7.7 points per game as a freshman last season, said this year’s Duke team is one of the most competitive rosters he’s ever been a part of. Proctor, who led the Blue Devils with 3.7 assists in 2023-24, agreed, and it didn’t sound like either player exempted themselves from the idea of earning a new role despite their status as the lone returning starters.

“My body’s been hurting after practices,” Proctor said with a smile. “Just every day, everyone’s fighting for their position and their minutes…I think it’s only making everyone better.”

With six top-40 freshmen, three high-level transfers, and two returning starters, Scheyer can pick whichever poison he prefers as he constructs his 2024-25 rotation, and it seems like every member of the team has bought in on his vision.

Duke’s Caleb Foster ranked as one of the best sophomores in college basketball

College basketball analyst Andy Katz thinks returning Duke starter Caleb Foster stands out among this year’s sophomore class.

Duke basketball starter [autotag]Caleb Foster[/autotag] returns to Cameron Indoor Stadium for his second season this winter, and according to college basketball analyst Andy Katz, he’s one of the best second-year players in the country.

In the latest edition of his 2024-25 preseason rankings, Katz named his choices for the 10 best sophomores in the country on Tuesday. Foster ended up sixth on his list.

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In his first season with the Blue Devils, the North Carolina native averaged 7.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. He worked his way into the starting lineup pretty consistently, beginning the game on the floor 15 times, and he made 40.6% of his 3-point attempts before a stress fracture in his ankle unfortunately ended his season a few weeks early.

Katz clearly has a high opinion of Foster, also ranking him as one of the 16 best defenders in the country. The 6-foot-5 guard averaged 0.6 steals per game in his debut season.

After two teammates headed to the NBA draft and more than a half-dozen left through the transfer portal, Foster and junior Tyrese Proctor are the only two returning starters from last season.

Caleb Foster named as one of the best defenders in college basketball by national analyst

Caleb Foster, one of two returning Duke basketball starters, is among the nation’s best defenders in the eyes of this analyst.

College basketball analyst Andy Katz continued his preseason rankings on Thursday with his list of the 16 best defenders in the sport, and Duke sophomore [autotag]Caleb Foster[/autotag] made the bottom of the list at 14th.

One of two returning starters on the roster, Foster made 27 appearances last season and averaged 7.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game before an ankle fracture ended his freshman season prematurely. The North Carolina native made more than 40% of his 3-point attempts and scored double-digit points in eight games, including an 18-point performance against the Michigan State Spartans in his third career game.

On the defensive end, Foster used his 6-foot-5 frame to his advantage with 16 total steals. He might not rack up the jaw-dropping highlights like five-star freshmen [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] and [autotag]Khaman Maluach[/autotag], blocking shots into the stands thanks to their height and athleticism, but he and fellow returner Tyrese Proctor will handle the perimeter defense.

Despite Katz’s rankings, Foster might not even be the most productive perimeter defender on the Duke roster. Tulane transfer Sion James, a versatile 6-foot-6 guard, averaged at least 1.6 steals per game in each of his last three seasons with the Green Wave. He’s even tacked on 0.8 blocks per game over the last two seasons, and he could take the ACC by storm.

Duke basketball shares behind-the-scenes photos from media day

Duke basketball posted some behind-the-scenes images from media day on Thursday, including the first looks at two freshmen and a transfer.

The Duke basketball team shared some behind-the-scenes photos from its media day on Thursday, giving Blue Devils fans some early looks at the new faces on the team.

With 10 players from the 2023-24 roster now in the NBA or with a different program, head coach [autotag]Jon Scheyer[/autotag] brought in six freshmen and four transfers to replenish his team.

While [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag], the top-ranked player in the class, didn’t make an appearance on the team’s social media teaser, fellow five-star freshman [autotag]Kon Knueppel[/autotag] did. The Wisconsin native has emerged as one of the breakout stars from this summer as his teammates keep praising his shooting ability and he keeps rising higher on 2025 draft boards.

The team also shared an official glimpse at Tulane transfer [autotag]Sion James[/autotag], a presumed starter for the 2024-25 season. James, a muscular 6-foot-6 guard who weighs in at 220 pounds, averaged a career-high 14.0 points and 5.4 rebounds with the Green Wave last season.

[autotag]Caleb Foster[/autotag], one of two returning starters on the roster, showed back up in his No. 1 jersey after he’s spent the past few weeks as the new host of The Brotherhood Podcast.

https://twitter.com/DukeMBB/status/1834240549739462815

The Blue Devils have already shared some preseason scrimmage content on social media, but fans get their first look at the 2024-25 squad in action at the Countdown to Craziness on October 4.

Cooper Flagg describes himself as ‘versatile’, someone who does ‘all of the little things’

During a Tuesday episode of The Brotherhood Podcast, Cooper Flagg gave Blue Devils fans a breakdown on his own game.

A lot of basketball fans have weighed in on [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] this offseason.

NBA scouts thought he might be the best player on the USA Select Team during Olympic training camp. NBA stars like Kevin Durant see his potential. Sports anchors and analysts think he’ll run the college basketball world.

But how does Flagg see himself?

During a Tuesday episode of The Brotherhood Podcast, the top-ranked freshman in the country sat down with sophomore teammate Caleb Foster and broke down exactly that.

“I’m pretty versatile,” Flagg said. “Two-way player. I like to take pride in playing defense, getting rebounds. Doing all of the little things, really. But then also, offensively, I can do a lot, too.”

Flagg described himself as a three-level scorer, a scary thought for the 6-foot-9 prospect whose defense shines on tape. During Montverde’s undefeated 2023-24 season his senior year, Flagg averaged 2.7 blocks per game while also dishing 3.8 assists.

Check out Flagg’s answer and the rest of his half-hour Brotherhood appearance below.

Analytics site projects 2024-25 statistics for Cooper Flagg and Duke basketball

Bart Torvik, who runs one of the most popular college basketball analytics sites, thinks Cooper Flagg might average nearly 20 points per game.

The entire college basketball world awaits [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag]’s Duke debut later this fall, and it occasionally feels like the top-ranked freshman can’t possibly live up to the offseason hype.

According to Bart Torvik, who runs one of the most popular college basketball analytics sites in the country, our sights might not be set high enough.

Field of 68 posted Torvik’s 2024-25 statistical projections for the Blue Devils this week, and he thinks Flagg will lead the team with 19 points per game. For reference, only 14 players on Power Six basketball teams last season matched that total.

Torvik also thought Flagg would average eight rebounds per game, making him one of the most potent double-double threats in college basketball. His 6-foot-9 frame and eye-popping athleticism make that sound entirely feasible.

Despite head coach Jon Scheyer welcoming five other elite freshmen into his program this offseason, Torvik thinks Duke’s second-leading scorer will be a familiar face. Tyrese Proctor, the junior point guard who led the team in assists last season, slotted in with 14 points and four assists per game.

Khaman Maluach, the 7-footer who will play for South Sudan in the Olympics, finished with 12 points and eight rebounds in the projection. Caleb Foster, the Blue Devils only other returning guard, rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points per game.

Check out Duke Wire’s statistical projections for each Blue Devils freshman here.

Jon Scheyer talks about toughness and leadership on 2024-25 Duke basketball team

Jon Scheyer’s talked a lot this offseason about his Duke basketball team competing and showing toughness, but what does that mean?

Duke basketball coach [autotag]Jon Scheyer[/autotag] keeps using the words “compete” and “tough” to talk about his vision for the 2024-25 Blue Devils. He praised [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag], the top prospect in the country, for how hard he plays. But what exactly does Scheyer mean when he says stuff like that?

During a Monday episode of The Devil’s Den podcast, Scheyer broke down what he looks for in a basketball player and how he defines a competitor behind the scenes.

“For me, when I think about competitiveness or toughness, I think about somebody who wants to do it every single day,” Scheyer said. “Not just depending on the game, not just when the lights come on, but does somebody show up every single day.”

Scheyer brought up [autotag]Jared McCain[/autotag]’s work ethic a lot during the Philadelphia guard’s freshman season, so it’s safe to assume he’s been a shining recent example of this work ethic. The third-year Duke coach also thinks his older players, from returners Caleb Foster and Tyrese Proctor to his new transfers, show those same qualities.

“They’ve been incredible,” Scheyer said about his two returning guards. “They’ve been great with looking themselves in the mirror, things they can do better…they’re hungry, ready to go, but I think those three guys from the portal really provide that as well, Mason (Purdue transfer Mason Gillis) in particular.”