RALEIGH, NC – Losing a key player this late in the season can be a crippling blow to a team with championship aspirations.

Or it can turn out to be a blessing.

Though it’s still too soon to tell which way it will go for Duke in the absence of starting point guard Caleb Foster, the early returns are promising.

Assuming Foster is healthy enough to eventually return to the lineup, the Blue Devils could be a better team in the postseason than they were when he suffered an ankle injury in a loss at Wake Forest 3 games ago because of the emergence of Sean Stewart.

The 6-9 freshman isn’t exactly a replacement for Foster. The 2 have no similarity other than the fact that they wear the letters D-U-K-E on the front of their jerseys.

But the extra minutes Stewart has gotten as a result of his team being a man down has helped bring out the best in the former 5-star prospect.

Stewart has played his best 3 games of the season since being pressed into expanded service. Monday night at NC State, he was a difference-maker on both ends of the floor – contributing 12 points, 5 rebounds and 3 blocked shots in a career-high 26 minutes Monday to help the 9th-ranked Blue Devils to a 79-64 win at NC State, maintaining momentum heading into the season-finale against UNC and then the ACC Tournament.

“Sean provides something that we don’t have,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said after his team’s 8th win in its past 9 games. “He’s our best athlete. His versatility on defense, his touch around the basket … and his skill is going to continue to get better and better. So you’re trying to find ways to get him out there.”

Those opportunities haven’t always been readily available in a frontcourt rotation dominated by All-American Kyle Filipowski, steady Mark Mitchell and the more experienced Ryan Young.

But that changed when Foster went down late in the first half in Winston-Salem.

Rather than filling the void with another guard, junior Jaylen Blakes, Scheyer chose to go with a bigger lineup by increasing the roles of Stewart and fellow 6-9 freshman TJ Power.

Scheyer has stayed with the alignment, thanks in large measure to the backcourt talent he still has at his disposal. It’s also helped that Stewart has taken advantage of his opportunity the way he has. He’s averaged 9 points and 7.3 rebounds in wins against Louisville, Virginia and now NC State.

While not a true low post player, his presence on the floor has made Duke a noticeably better rebounding team. The Blue Devils have a plus-13 advantage since his insertion into the rotation.

The dominance has been even more significant on the offensive glass, where the Blue Devils have been in double-digits over the past 3 games. They had 19, leading to 23 second-chance points against the Wolfpack on Monday.

Stewart has always added a spark of energy and athleticism when he’s been on the floor this season. But it’s taken time for him to harness those qualities and use them for more than just a momentary spark off the bench.

“His growth … he works his (butt) off every day in practice, after practice,” said senior teammate Jeremy Roach, who has taken Stewart under his wing as his mentor this season. “Whether it’s defensively or offensively, for it to all come together at the right time is just beautiful.”

Duke has had its problems against teams with a strong inside presence. North Carolina and Clemson are the 2 primary examples. But while NC State’s DJ Burns scored a season-high 27 points on 12-of-19 shooting, all from inside the paint, the damage was only negligible.

And much of it can be attributed to the Blue Devils’ concentration on defending the Wolfpack’s prolific 3-point shooters DJ Horne and Jayden Taylor.

Stewart said it’s something on which he’s been “working hard every day with the coaches, just waiting on my name to be called.”

It just happened that it took an injury for Scheyer and his staff to finally call it.

There’s still no timetable for Foster’s return. All Scheyer has said about the freshman guard’s status is that he is “out for an extended time.”

Foster has started 15 games and is averaging 7.7 points and 2.1 assists per game while shooting better than 40% from 3-point range. Beyond the stats, he gives Duke another offensive threat and lockdown defender in the backcourt.

As much as Stewart’s recent improvement and the return to form of sophomore guard Tyrese Proctor have added to the Blue Devils, the task of going deeper into March than last year’s 2nd round exit will be tougher if Foster isn’t back and healthy at least in time for the NCAA Tournament.

But if he is and Stewart can continue providing Duke with the lift he’s given it these past 3 games, this year’s run could end up being a lot sweeter.

Maybe even elite.

Or beyond.