Tag: Caleb Foster

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.

Caleb Foster hurts ankle in the second half against Wake Forest, Scheyer says

Freshman guard Caleb Foster suffered a suspected ankle injury in the closing half against the Demon Deacons, head coach Jon Scheyer revealed after the game.

Kyle Filipowski wasn’t the only Blue Devil injured after halftime against Wake Forest on Saturday.

Freshman guard Caleb Foster, who has started the past several games for Duke, injured his ankle during the second half against the Demon Deacons, according to postgame comments from head coach Jon Scheyer.

Foster played 22 minutes against the Demon Deacons, scoring eight points on 3/5 shooting with three rebounds and an assist.

The 6-foot-5 North Carolina native is averaging 7.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game this season, and he’s shooting 43.7% from the floor and 40.6% from beyond the 3-point line.

He’s appeared in all 27 of Duke’s games this season, and Saturday was his 15th start of the season.

Foster’s best game of the season came against Pittsburgh shortly after the new year began when he scored 16 points on nine shots and added six rebounds and five assists.

Five takeaways from No. 7 Duke’s 84-55 win against Miami

What does Duke’s 84-55 win against Miami mean for the team over the next few games and the postseason? Here are our five biggest takeaways.

The No. 7 Duke Blue Devils won both of their games on their trip to the state of Florida.

The Blue Devils took down the Florida State Seminoles, 76-67, on Saturday. Duke then traveled to Coral Gables, Florida, and dismantled the Miami Hurricanes, 84-55, on Wednesday night.

The Blue Devils started slow against Miami, but a 13-0 run midway through the first half gave Duke a double-digit lead that they kept into the half. Miami never cut the deficit back to single digits as Duke rolled over them.

Duke now is tied for first place in the ACC standings at 12-3. The Blue Devils’ overall record is one game better than North Carolina, with whom they share first place. Duke is 21-5 on the season, while the Tar Heels are 20-6.

Here are five takeaways from the Blue Devil’s win over Miami.

Duke dominates Miami in one of the Blue Devils’ best offensive displays

The Blue Devils had one of their best offensive performances of the season on Wednesday in a dominant 84-55 win over Miami.

Duke lost its last game in Miami, but the Blue Devils got revenge and a lot more against the Hurricanes on Wednesday night in an 84-55 victory.

Head coach Jon Scheyer’s team sent a statement to the ACC and the nation with one of their best offensive displays of the season, shooting 51.9% from the floor and 44.8% from deep against a shorthanded Miami team.

The first half went as perfectly as it could possibly go for the Blue Devils. Despite the Hurricanes not having junior guards Nijel Pack and Matthew Cleveland, Duke clung to a two-point lead with 10:15 to play in the first.

The Blue Devils closed the half on a 24-9 run to absolutely leave the Hurricanes in the dust.

Duke’s entire starting lineup found moments to shine in the first 20 minutes. Miami kept a close eye on the perimeter to start the game, but the approach meant the Hurricanes kept losing track of sophomore Mark Mitchell, who scored seven of Duke’s first 10 points.

Kyle Filipowski made a pull-up 3-pointer and unleashed a devastating spin move in the paint in quick succession, and freshman guard Caleb Foster followed with two 3-pointers within three possessions.

Reigning ACC Rookie of the Week Jared McCain threw down a vicious dunk through a little contact to get in on the fun, the last basket of a 13-0 run for the Blue Devils.

He did so quietly, but no one excelled across the opening 20 minutes more than senior Jeremy Roach, who made three of his four first-half 3-point attempts to lead the game with 11 points at the break.

The late surge meant the Blue Devils led 40-23 at the break as Miami’s starters combined to shoot 8/27 from the floor and 3/12 from beyond the arc. Star forward Norchad Omier, a potential All-ACC candidate averaging nearly 18 points and 10 rebounds per game, pulled down eight first-half rebounds but could only manage six points on eight shots.

Omier’s frustration seemed to continue into the second half. Filipowski, Mitchell, and other Blue Devils did a good job making him work for his looks, but the Miami big man also missed some routine baskets on the evening. He had a few open looks and contested layups that just bounced off the rim in an odd fashion, his confusion slowly morphing into exasperation as the second half wore on. He finished the game with nine points and 10 rebounds.

Duke’s offensive heater kept warm over the halftime break, with four of the Blue Devils’ five starters making a 3-pointer in the first five minutes of the second half. The last of the four, made by Foster, extended Duke’s lead to 23 points with 15 minutes to play, a deficit that proved insurmountable for the Hurricanes.

The Blue Devils coasted their way to the clubhouse from there with little drama, leading by 20 or more points for almost the entire rest of the way.

Roach ended the game with a team-leading 16 points, and Mitchell and Filipowski both finished with 15 points. McCain had a quieter night, finishing with seven points and five rebounds on 3/9 shooting, but Foster added 11 points and Proctor contributed 12 off the bench.

Duke also out-rebounded the Hurricanes 42-31 over the course of the game.

The Blue Devils, now tied with North Carolina for first in the ACC with a 12-3 conference record, play Wake Forest for the second time in two weeks on Saturday.

Five takeaways from No. 9 Duke’s 76-67 win on the road against Florida State

Five takeaways from No. 9 Duke’s 76-67 win over Florida State.

Duke entered the day just a half-game out of first place in the ACC as they entered a pivotal part of the schedule.

UNC, the conference leaders this year as it stands, remained the leaders as they disposed of Virginia Tech at home. Behind Duke, Virginia held off Wake Forest at home to remain hot on their trails as they look to close the tiny gap between them and the Tobacco Road teams for the lead in the ACC.

To stay a half-game behind, Duke (20-5, 11-3 in the ACC) needed a win on the road in Tallahassee, Florida. They received just that behind one of Duke’s most memorable freshman performances in years. Freshman guard Jared McCain poured in 35 points on 12/20 shooting and 8/11 from three-point land.

McCain was exceptional from the opening tip and continued until the final buzzer. Duke was without sophomore point guard Tyrese Proctor, who suffered a concussion in the Blue Devils’ home game against Wake Forest early in the week. Meanwhile, sophomore Kyle Filipowski was also plagued by foul trouble and only scored eight points. Combine that with Duke turning the ball over 16 times, and Duke needed every bit of the effort they received from everyone who played on Saturday to beat Florida State (13-12, 7-7.)

In a vacuum, it’s one of the better wins of the season, even if it doesn’t look like it on their NCAA resume.

With that said, here are five takeaways from the game itself.

Five takeaways from No. 9 Duke’s 77-69 win over Wake Forest

Taking a look at our five biggest takeaways from Duke’s 77-69 win over Wake Forest.

No players on Wake Forest’s roster were alive the last time the Wake Forest Demon Deacons beat Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

For another year, that streak will continue as No. 9 Duke outlasted Wake Forest 77-69 in a cagey affair to keep themselves in pursuit of the top spot in the ACC standings.

The last time Wake Forest won on the road against Duke, a halfway decent player named Tim Duncan was a senior for the Demon Deacons in 1997. Wednesday’s game was a close affair as Wake’s talented assortment of scoring threats gave Duke all it could handle.

The teams played a very physical, sloppy, and low-scoring first half for two of the best offensive teams in the ACC. The Demon Deacons shot just 28% in the first half, while the Blue Devils were 36% from the field. Neither team could find the touch from the 3-point range in the first half, with the Demon Deacons going just 4/19 and the Blue Devils going 3/14.

Mark Mitchell put Duke on his back in the second half, and foul trouble with Wake Forest big man Efton Reid made it nearly impossible for Wake to slow down Duke inside. Some timely shots and defense from Duke were enough to seal it away.

Duke completed their three-game homestand undefeated and will now embark on their Florida road trip. This trip will see them play road games against both Florida-based ACC schools and a trip to Winston-Salem for a rematch with these same Demon Deacons in 12 days.

Before we turn the page, here are our five takeaways from the game.

What’s been going on from beyond the arc?

After averaging nearly 39% from beyond the 3-point line through 20 games, the Blue Devils are shooting 28.4% from deep in their past three games.

What happened to the Blue Devils’ perimeter shooting?

Through 20 games this season, Duke was arguably the best team in the ACC from beyond the 3-point line. Five different players were shooting 38% or better from long range, and the team made 38.7% of its 3-pointers through the end of January.

In fact, the Blue Devils were on a tear during the first month of 2024. They made at least eight 3-pointers in every game they played during January, and they shot 41.7% for the month.

The heater came to a peak against Virginia Tech on January 29 when Duke made more than 50% of its attempts (9/17).

Since they took the court against North Carolina on February 3, however, a switch flipped.

Against the Tar Heels, Duke made just five of their 19 attempts. In the next game against Notre Dame, the Blue Devils went a measly 4/18. They even fired 30 attempts against Boston College on Saturday, but they only made 10 of them.

Across the past six halves of basketball, Duke has shot 19/67 from beyond the arc. After a full month above 40%, the Blue Devils have made 28.4% of their 3-pointers in February so far.

There’s not one ice-cold shooter to point a finger at, either. Freshman Jared McCain, one of the team’s best sharpshooters, finished 2/6 against UNC and 1/8 against Boston College. Star forward Kyle Filipowski made one of his six attempts against the Tar Heels, and fellow sophomore Tyrese Proctor only found the net on three of his 11 attempts over the past two games.

Even senior Jeremy Roach, who leads the team in 3-point shooting this season at 44.3% for the year, finished a combined 4/11 against North Carolina and Boston College.

From a casual viewing perspective, it’s hard to find a tangible reason for the regression on tape other than, well, regression. The team is finding open looks, they’re historically good from long-range across their careers, and they haven’t fundamentally changed the offense too much.

The answer is probably that the Blue Devils need to shoot their way out of this funk. A team as good as Duke from deep will naturally take more than 20 3-point attempts per game, and sometimes you go cold at the wrong time. The last three games are far too small a sample size to say something needs to change, especially considering the Blue Devils won two of those games.

However, with postseason tournaments looming in the distance, it isn’t reassuring to know the team has some games like this in their system. Better to go cold in February rather than March, but shooting well for all six of the consecutive wins they’d need for a national championship would be a lot to ask for.

Duke doesn’t live and die by the 3-pointer, but it’d be reassuring if they did more living than dying over the final eight games of the regular season.

Midseason Awards for Duke Men’s Basketball: Jared McCain and Jeremy Roach have been stars

Handing out midseason awards for the 2023-2024 Duke basketball team.

Duke is fresh off the heels of a 71-53 win over Notre Dame to complete a season sweep of the Fighting Irish and now sits just 1.5 back of first place in the ACC behind only the North Carolina Tarheels and the Virginia Cavaliers.

It’s been an up-and-down season by Duke standards. Of course, they aren’t in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament, but it’s reasonable to believe that one or two head-scratching Duke losses have impacted how we view them in totality.

That said, the Blue Devils have everything in front of them, and they have the offensive firepower to beat any team in the country on a given night. Other components must continue to come together, but Duke is a threat.

With over half of their ACC games done, the Blue Devils are just past the midseason point of their conference schedule, so now’s the perfect opportunity to hand out our midseason awards.

Check them out below.

Notre Dame struggles on offense in loss to Duke

Not like this was unexpected, but still.

Notre Dame ending its losing streak at No. 9 Duke was a tall order. Not since the Irish got blown out at Marquette was it so obvious that the Irish did not belong on the same court as their opponent.

Incredibly, the Irish held their own against the Blue Devils much better than against the Golden Eagles. They can at least hang onto that as their skid reached seven games with a 71-53 loss.

Any realistic chance the Irish (7-16, 2-10) had at completing the upset was gone in the first half when the Devils (17-5, 8-3) scored 17 unanswered points over eight minutes. To the Irish’s credit, they kept the deficit respectable enough under the circumstances and got within nine a couple of times during the second half.

Had the Irish shot better than 33.9% from the field, we might be talking about a closer final score. A team that knows how to score, which is not the 2023-24 Irish, certainly would have made things more interesting. It also would have been more of a contest had the Irish not given up a season-high 21 second-chance points.

Mark Mitchell did the most for the Devils with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Caleb Foster scored 13 off the bench, and Jared McCain added 11.

[autotag]Markus Burton[/autotag] had game highs of 19 points and four assists. He made three 3-pointers, as did [autotag]Braeden Shrewsberry[/autotag], who made the first conference start of his collegiate career and scored 13 points.

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