As Duke prepares to face St. John’s in the Sweet 16, the Blue Devils are dealing with a pair of significant injuries. Point guard Caleb Foster has been sidelined with a fractured foot and while a return once seemed impossible, it is suddenly a possibility.
Meanwhile, center Patrick Ngongba II returned for Duke’s last win, but he was on a minute restriction and left the arena in a walking boot while using a scooter, raising questions about his status for the Sweet 16 vs. St. John’s.
Latest Injury Update for Duke vs. St. John’s: Who Will Play?
Duke head coach Jon Scheyer provided a notable update on starting point guard Caleb Foster during a recent interview with CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein.
“When he first got hurt, I felt there was more like one in a million [chance he returns]. … Since that, since he got hurt, the way he’s worked, the chances have continued to increase. I even think there’s an outside chance maybe for this Friday,” Scheyer admitted.
It’s worth noting that Foster’s family told WRAL’s Chris Lea that he “has a 50-50 chance of playing Friday night,” so it sounds like he will be a game-time decision.
Duke’s Caleb Foster (foot) has an “outside chance” to play in Friday’s Sweet 16 game against St. John’s, per Jon Scheyer.
Has not played since 3/7.
Averages 8.5 PPG.
Significant news for the Blue Devils.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 23, 2026
Foster suffered a fractured right foot during Duke’s regular-season finale against North Carolina on March 7 and underwent surgery the following day. He has not played since that contest, missing the entire ACC Tournament and both NCAA Tournament games thus far.
Foster’s potential return would be significant for Duke’s championship aspirations. Before the injury, the junior averaged 8.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game while shooting 40.2% from 3-point range. His efficiency and veteran presence have been sorely missed as the Blue Devils navigated the postseason with a shortened rotation.
Regarding Patrick Ngongba II, the sophomore center returned to the court in Duke’s Round of 32 victory over TCU after missing five consecutive games with right-foot soreness. However, Ngongba played just 13 minutes against the Horned Frogs, contributing 4 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists in a solid but limited cameo.
However, the scene after the game raised some concern. Ngongba was spotted leaving the arena wearing a walking boot and using a scooter to support his leg.
This was likely precautionary to keep the big man’s foot rested and protected between games rather than an indication of a setback. Ngongba had been seen arriving at the venue in a similar fashion before playing against TCU.
The 6-foot-11 center has been instrumental for Duke when healthy this season. He averaged 10.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game during the regular season while shooting 60.7% from the floor. His presence allows Cameron Boozer to operate more freely on offense and provides critical rim protection on defense. While Ngongba is expected to suit up in the Sweet 16, the big question is how many minutes he’ll play.
The remainder of the injury report features players who are out for the season: Sebastian Wilkins and Ifeanyi Ufochukwu for Duke, and Casper Pohto and Imran Suljanovic for St. John’s.
St. John’s presents a significant challenge for Duke, so the Blue Devils would certainly love to have Ngongba and Foster healthy and available. Rick Pitino’s Red Storm advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999 after knocking off fourth-seeded Kansas 67-65 on a buzzer-beater by Dylan Darling.
St. John’s boasts the nation’s eighth-ranked adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom, and led the Big East in forced turnovers this season.
Sweet 16 Schedule for Thursday and Friday
After several days without any NCAA Tournament games, the action resumes tonight at 7:10 p.m. ET. There are four games on tonight and four games on Friday, with all of them airing on CBS and TBS/truTV.
THURSDAY
- No. 11 Texas vs. No. 2 Purdue | 7:10 p.m. ET | CBS
- No. 9 Iowa vs. No. 4 Nebraska | 7:30 p.m. ET | TBS/truTV
- No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 1 Arizona | 9:45 p.m. ET | CBS
- No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 2 Houston | 10:05 p.m. ET | TBS/truTV
FRIDAY
- No. 5 St. John’s vs. No. 1 Duke | 7:10 p.m. ET | CBS
- No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 Michigan | 7:35 p.m. ET | TBS/truTV
- No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 2 UConn | 9:45 p.m. ET | CBS
- No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 2 Iowa State | 10:10 p.m. ET | TBS/truTV
The NCAA Tournament averaged 9.8 million viewers through its first three days, the best start since CBS and TNT began showing all of the games together in 2011, according to Nielsen data. The primetime Thursday window hit 12.5 million, making it the most-watched first-round window in tournament history.
All eyes will be on Jefferson to see if he can return and give Iowa State their best shot at advancing to the Elite Eight, which gets underway on March 28 to March 29.
