Key injuries sideline crucial Duke players, potentially impacting their tournament seeding despite championship aspirations.
No. 1 Duke entered the ACC Tournament as the hottest team in college basketball.
The Blue Devils are 29-2 overall and have looked like the best team in the country after being upset by rival North Carolina in February.
Duke proved worthy of being in the Final Four conversation with a win over Michigan in Washington D.C. in February. The Blue Devils finished the season on an eight-game winning streak.
However, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer had bad news for the team before the ACC Tournament. Center Patrick Ngongba II will not play in the ACC Tournament because of a foot injury he suffered in a 76-61 win over No. 17 North Carolina on Saturday.
Starting point guard Caleb Foster suffered a broken right foot that will keep him out of the ACC Tournament. Scheyer believes the earliest Foster could return would be the Final Four.
ESPN's Joe Lunardi doesn't think the injuries will have much of an impact on the Blue Devil's trajectory for the NCAA Tournament. Before the injuries were announced, it appeared a lock for Duke to be the No. 1 overall seed.
That could change because of the injuries, but the impact would be minor.
Without Ngongba and Foster, the team is still expected to be a contender for the national title, even if they drop to the No. 3 overall seed for the tournament.
"The Blue Devils and coach Jon Scheyer are smartly playing the long game here," Lunardi wrote. "Even if one or both players could be rushed back into action this week, the juice would not be worth the squeeze.
“Yes, Duke could conceivably lose the NCAA's top overall seed. But, no, its chance for a national championship in April would not be affected... Their path is not materially different if Michigan or Arizona knocks them to second or third overall.”
Even without Foster and Ngongba, Lunardi thinks the Blue Devils could cruise through the ACC Tournament. After all, star forward Cameron Boozer should give Duke plenty of ammo in the tournament.
No. 10 Virginia appears to be the toughest obstacle in the ACC for Duke. The Blue Devils beat the Cavaliers 77-51 on Feb. 28.
Ngongba accounted for 11 points and three rebounds in the win. Foster added five points, six rebounds and six assists.
While those two were key, Boozer earned 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Sophomore guard Isaiah Evans led the team with 19 points to go along with three assists.
Evans will need to step up in the ACC Tournament with Foster and Ngongba out.