Caleb Foster Has Worked Hard To Return
Despite a six-to-eight week prognosis to return from a broken foot, Foster is in a position to play because he has worked extremely hard, Scheyer said. Texas guard Jordan Pope played through a broken foot in the Longhorns 79-77 loss to Purdue.
“Not to reference ‘Dumb and Dumber,’ but when he first got hurt, I felt like maybe it was one in a million,” Scheyer told CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein on Monday. “Since then, the way Caleb has worked, the chances have continued to increase. I think there’s an outside chance, maybe for Friday.
“He’s trying to do the impossible here and try to come back as soon as he can,” Scheyer added. “This weekend, I don’t think I can rule it out because of who he is and how he’s been working.”
Foster, who has practiced this week, was having the best season of his collegiate career and was the Blue Devils’ starting point guard before getting injured. Foster averaged 8.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. He also knocked down 1.3 threes with shooting splits of 44.2/40.2/58.5. Additionally, he scored in double figures in 10 of his 31 contests
Duke is 5-0 without Foster, but the Blue Devils have had a couple of close calls. Their scoring is slightly down, and they haven’t been as good defensively without him. They average 76 points and allow 67 points a contest over the last five contests.
“As long as #duke PG Caleb Foster didn’t have any setback overnight, the expectation is he will play tonight against St.John’s, ” CBS Sports’ Tracy Wolfson tweeted earlier this afternoon.
What Does Foster Bring To The Blue Devils?
Foster is the one who organizes the Blue Devils’ offense and defense. Offensively, Foster brings stability, as he is a solid ball-handler, and leadership/ Not known as a shooter, Foster has improved in that area this year and knocks down over 40% of his three-point attempts for his career.
Defense is where Foster makes his money. He is the quarterback on that end and excels at the point of attack.
If Foster does return tonight, he will likely come off the bench due to his minutes restriction. His return would allow Scheyer to take a little pressure off of freshman Cayden Boozer. St. John’s is outstanding defensively, No. 19 in the country in defensive rating, and Dylan Darling is a tenacious on-ball defender.
