The Duke Blue Devils are hoping to reclaim the title as National Champions again this year and they may have some help on the way to accomplish that goal.
Freshman point guard, Kyrie Irving could return for the first round, coach Mike Krzyzewski told reporters. Irving has been practicing a “little bit” Krzyzewski said.
Krzyzewski said: “There is a chance that he would play,” but he doesn’t know for sure, according to the Associated Press.
Irving was taking the nation by storm in the beginning of the season. The explosive point guard, led the Blue Devils with 17.4 points per game when he injured his toe in Duke’s win against Butler on Dec. 4.
Irving wouldn’t start according to Krzyzewski and it’s unclear how many minutes he would actually get. Duke (30-4) was able to play well without the freshman point guard, as other role players stepped up in his absence.
Krzyzewski said Irving wouldn’t be on the court for an extended period of time. It may also be tough for the top-seeded Blue Devils to add another player and risk disrupting their chemistry.
“I’m going day by day, because I never expected him to be where he’s at today,” Krzyzewski told the Associated Press. “This is like uncharted waters.”
Although the Blue Devils lost Irving, senior guard Nolan Smith became the unquestioned leader of the team. Smith was named the ACC Player of the Year, and is in the discussion for National Player of the Year.
Duke will take on 16th-seeded Hampton on Friday night in Charlotte.
