Duke Gets Injury Updates to Starters Ahead of Sweet 16 Matchup vs. St. John’s
The Duke Blue Devils haven’t been playing at full strength this postseason. Two of their usual starters, guard Caleb Foster and center Patrick Ngongba, have been dealing with injuries.
According to SI.com’s Matt Giles, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer provided updates to the starters on Thursday. The head coach said Ngongba is “on track” to play in the Sweet 16 matchup against St. John’s on Friday. Caleb Foster has practiced each of the last two days, but it will be a game-time decision.
Caleb Foster Injury Update
Foster was diagnosed with a fractured right foot in Duke’s win over North Carolina on March 7 and has been sidelined since. The guard underwent surgery to address the issue.
At first, it seemed that there was an outside chance that the junior guard would be able to return for Duke this season, but Foster appeared to be having no issues at practice.
As a veteran of this young Duke squad, Caleb Foster has stepped up big in 2025-26 after rocky seasons in his first two collegiate campaigns. In 31 games (30 starts) for the Blue Devils this season, he’s averaging 8.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists, and leads the team in three-point percentage (40.2%, minimum 10 attempts).
Foster has taken the lead point guard role for much of the 2025-26 season. Freshman guard Cayden Boozer has played behind him in Jon Scheyer’s system, but has stepped up big in his absence.
Boozer, the twin brother of Naismith Award finalist Cameron Boozer, has scored 15 or more points in three of the five games he’s replaced Foster in the starting lineup. This included a much-needed 19-point performance in Duke’s comeback win over Siena during the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Blue Devils will wait and see how Caleb Foster feels on the day leading up to the matchup against St. John’s. Having the new and improved point guard combination will be crucial for keeping players fresh if he’s able to suit up.
