Top-Ranked Duke Down Two Starters Entering ACC Tournament

Caleb Foster and Patrick Ngongba II will both miss the conference tournament.

Caleb Foster will miss the ACC tournament, and perhaps longer, with a fractured foot. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Duke star point guard Caleb Foster is out for the foreseeable future after undergoing surgery for a fractured foot, Blue Devils coach Jon Scheyer told the media on Tuesday morning. Starting center Patrick Ngongba II will also continue to be sidelined for the ACC tournament as he deals with foot soreness. Scheyer noted that the priority will be to have Ngongba ready for the NCAA tournament.

Foster left Saturday’s 15-point Blue Devils win over visiting No. 17 North Carolina with a right foot injury and was seen on the sideline in a boot. He scored five points and added two assists and a rebound prior to exiting the game for the nation’s top-ranked team.

Duke coach Jon Scheyer hinted at Foster’s injury being a long-term ailment after the game, when he told reporters that he did not expect the junior point guard to play in the ACC tournament. Tuesday morning is the first time that the full injury to Foster was revealed.

The Blue Devils will be a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament, and perhaps even the top overall seed in the entire field. But injuries are beginning to pile up in Durham, with Foster now out indefinitely and Ngongba sidelined until at least the start of the NCAA tournament. The good news for Duke is that Cameron Boozer is healthy and continues to be a force as he makes his case for National Player of the Year. He scored 26 points and added 15 rebounds in the win on Saturday, and the Blue Devils’ ceiling remains sky high as long as he is on the floor.

But Foster’s veteran presence in the backcourt and Ngongba’s ability in the frontcourt will both be missed as the Blue Devils try to navigate their way to a conference tournament title.

Duke's path to an ACC tournament title

After capturing the ACC's regular season title, Duke will look to make it a clean sweep without Foster and Ngongba in Charlotte this week for the league's conference tournament.

Duke earned the No. 1 seed by virtue of the regular season title, and received a double-bye into the ACC quarterfinals. Duke will play the winner of No. 8 Florida State and No. 9 Cal on Thursday, March 12 at 7 p.m. ET. If all top seeds advance, a rubber match with No. 4 North Carolina could await the Blue Devils in the semifinals for a chance to move forward to the ACC title game on Saturday.

---