As the Duke Blue Devils begin their bid to win the 2026 NCAA Men’s Tournament, they will have to make do without Caleb Foster as he continues his recovery from a fractured foot. Duke head coach Jon Scheyer hopes to have his star guard back to full fitness soon.
Entering the NCAA Tournament as the overall No. 1 seed, Duke will face the Siena Saints in the first round later on Thursday (tip-off at 2:50 p.m. ET).
Will Caleb Foster Play for Duke in the NCAA Men’s Tournament?
Question marks remain over Foster’s status for the NCAA Tournament. The 21-year-old fractured his foot earlier this month during Duke’s clash against North Carolina. In the lead-up to March Madness, Scheyer provided an update on Foster’s injury status.
“Caleb is going to be a little while still… He’s progressing well,” Scheyer said via the Duke Wire on Sunday without offering a timeline on a possible return to action for Foster.
According to John Goodman of “The Field of 68,” there is a minimal yet outside chance that Foster could play in the Final Four if Duke makes it that far.
“Source told The Field Of 68 there is an outside shot Caleb Foster could play if Duke makes Final 4, but it’s very minimal,” he wrote on X on March 10.
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Foster is in the midst of his junior year with the Blue Devils and has been a pivotal part of the team’s impressive season, averaging 8.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. He shoots 44.2% from the field and 40.2% from the three-point line.
In addition to Foster, Duke will also be sweating on the fitness of Patrick Ngongba II going into the NCAA Tournament. The center is further along in his recovery and is more likely to be able to play for the Blue Devils this month.
Aiming to win its sixth NCAA title and first since 2015, Duke will be counting on Cameron Boozer to lead the way. The freshman has been in excellent form this year and was named the ACC Player of the Year. He is regarded as one of the top NBA prospects in college basketball.
Duke goes into the NCAA Tournament on an 11-game winning streak, including a win over Virginia in the ACC Tournament championship game. But anything can happen when March rolls around, and the national tournament gets underway. So the Blue Devils hope the injured players can return to help the team in crunch time.
