Duke guard Caleb Foster will be a game-time decision for the Blue Devils’ Sweet 16 matchup against St. John’s on Friday, according to coach Jon Scheyer.
Foster’s Foot Injury and Return
Foster, Duke’s starting point guard, has been sidelined for the past five games. This was after suffering a fracture in his foot against North Carolina earlier this month.
The 6-foot-5 junior participated in a limited capacity at practice on Wednesday. Scheyer confirmed the team would assess his condition leading up to Friday’s game to determine his availability.
“He’s going to give it everything he has to go tomorrow night,” the Duke head coach said.
Foster’s Impact Before Injury
Prior to his injury, Foster was having a strong season. He started 30 of the team’s first 31 games. He averaged 8.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists, while shooting 40.2% from 3-point range.
He had 15 points and eight assists against Arkansas; 20 points against Louisville; and 12 points and four assists in a win over then-No. 1 Michigan.
Boozer Stepping Up
In Foster’s absence, Scheyer has turned to five-star freshman Cayden Boozer as a starter in the backcourt. Boozer is the twin brother of Duke’s National Player of the Year front-runner Cameron Boozer.
Boozer has averaged 13.8 points and 3.2 assists over that span. He also had 19 points and five assists in Duke’s first-round NCAA tournament win over Siena.
Ngongba’s Expected Return
Sophomore center Pat Ngongba is also expected to play in Friday night’s game against No. 5 seed St. John’s (30-6), Scheyer said. Ngongba had been dealing with a foot injury himself.
Ngongba missed five games with his foot injury before returning for the team’s second-round win over TCU, playing 13 minutes off the bench. This season, Ngongba has started 28 games and is averaging 10.5 points and 6.0 rebounds.
The team will be looking to see how Foster feels and progresses leading into Friday.