Duke expected to be without two starters entering ACC Tournament, per Jon Scheyer

No. 1 Duke enters the ACC Tournament as the clear favorite, but the Blue Devils are expected to be without two key contributors when play begins next week in Charlotte.

Following a 76-61 win over No. 17 North Carolina on Saturday night, Duke coach Jon Scheyer said he does not anticipate guard Caleb Foster or forward Pat Ngongba being available for the tournament.

Ngongba has not played since March 2 while dealing with soreness in his foot. The big man appeared on the ACC availability report as questionable entering the rivalry matchup and went through portions of pregame warmups, according to ESPN. But ultimately he did not participate in layup lines and remained on the bench in warmups.

Jon Scheyer said postgame he does not expect to see Caleb Foster or Pat Ngongba II next week at the ACC tournament. All eyes towards the NCAA tournament.

Foster exited Saturday’s game early with a right foot injury. He started but played only 11 minutes before heading to the locker room late in the first half.

Despite the injuries, Duke continues to roll. The Blue Devils have won 18 of their last 19 games, with their lone loss in that stretch coming on a buzzer-beater against North Carolina on Feb. 7.

Ngongba has been a key piece defensively for Duke, leading the team with 1.1 blocks per game while averaging 10.7 points and 6.0 rebounds on 60.2% shooting.

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The leading candidate for Naismith Player of the Year Cameron Boozer led the Blue Devils with 26 points and 15 rebounds, while Maliq Brown added 15 on Senior Day against UNC. 

Duke is positioned for another No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The question remains will that come with a conference championship or not. 

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