Jon Scheyer said Monday Duke forward Dariq Whitehead is making progress toward a return from a leg injury that forced him to miss last week’s trouncing of Georgia Tech.

Whitehead “had a really good day” on the court on Sunday, according to The Athletic’s Brendan Marks, but Scheyer would like to see his talented freshman practice before Tuesday’s game against Wake Forest. If he can’t, he won’t play.

 

The injury occurred during Duke’s loss to Virginia Tech last Monday. Afterward, Scheyer didn’t want to reveal specifics on the injury, only describing it as a “strain.” Overall, though, Whitehead avoided a major injury.

“I think he got a lot of relief once we had done the testing, got the MRI and no structural damage, which is important,” Scheyer said, per ESPN. “So he’s relieved, I know that. We just need to make sure we make smart decisions and take our time with him.”

It’s not the first setback for the 6-foot-7 wing. He had a broken foot in August that required surgery and forced him to miss the first 3 games of Duke’s season. He also missed the December loss at Wake Forest with a non-COVID illness.

He’d started the previous 5 games, though, as it looked like Whitehead was rounding into form. In 6 of his 8 appearances prior to the latest injury, Whitehead had scored in double-figures. So far this season, he’s averaging 8.4 points and 2.3 rebounds in 20 minutes a night.

Tip-off between Duke and Wake Forest is set for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN) on Tuesday.