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Updates on Duke basketball injury: improving

In Brooklyn, during Duke’s commanding 93-55 triumph over James Madison in the NCAA Tournament’s second round, Jaylen Blakes of Duke took a tough fall following a foul by James Madison’s Noah Freidel in the second half. Despite Duke’s advancement, they faced physical setbacks from the game.

Two guards from Duke, senior starter Jeremy Roach and junior reserve Jaylen Blakes, sustained injuries that are expected to affect them during Friday’s NCAA Tournament South Region semifinal against Houston. Roach dislocated his left pinkie finger in the first half of the James Madison game but returned to play after receiving treatment from the team’s medical staff, who readjusted his finger and taped it to the neighboring ring finger. Although Roach experienced discomfort, X-rays taken on Sunday ruled out any fractures, and he expressed confidence in his recovery, stating, “It’s all good. I’ll be good for next week.”

During the second half, Jaylen Blakes of Duke experienced a frightening fall when James Madison’s Noah Freidel fouled him from behind as Blakes attempted a one-handed dunk on a breakaway. Blakes landed on his upper back, with his head making contact with the court, leaving him groggy as he was assisted from the court to the locker room.

Although he didn’t return to the game, he later rejoined his teammates on the bench. Duke coach Jon Scheyer acknowledged the severity of the incident, stating, “Jaylen, that’s a scary play,” emphasizing that there was no malicious intent.

Blakes’ condition prompted further medical evaluation, with his status remaining uncertain. Jeremy Roach stepped in to shoot the free throws on Blakes’ behalf. Blakes was unavailable for post-game interviews as he received additional medical attention.

“I was definitely concerned about him,” Roach expressed. “But seeing him return to the bench with a smile reassured me.” The incident occurred with Duke holding a commanding 76-46 lead with 8:29 remaining in the game.

Referees promptly called an intentional foul and utilized replay to determine it was a Flagrant 1 foul, sparing Freidel from ejection. “He was going for the ball, so I wouldn’t classify it as a dirty play,” Roach remarked, one of Duke’s three captains.

“Though there was unnecessary contact to the head, we just wanted to maintain our lead and finish the game.” Despite his finger injury on his non-shooting hand, Roach played for 34 minutes, contributing 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting along with six assists.

Blakes saw limited action, playing for just five minutes and scoring two points. The availability of the two guards is crucial for Duke (26-8) as they gear up to take on Houston, the top seed in the South Region.

With guard Caleb Foster already out for the remainder of the season due to an ankle stress fracture, Duke relies heavily on players like Roach, along with sophomore guard Tyrese Proctor and freshman guard Jared McCain, to provide essential ball-handling depth.

Steve Wiseman has been reporting on Duke athletics since 2010 for both the Durham Herald-Sun and Raleigh News & Observer. Throughout his career, he has achieved recognition for his writing, including multiple top-10 finishes in beat writing and awards for breaking news and explanatory writing in the Associated Press Sports Editors national contest.

Prior to his tenure covering Duke, Wiseman worked for various publications such as The State, Herald-Journal, The Sun Herald, Charlotte Observer, and Hickory Daily Record, covering a range of beats including NFL teams like the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints, University of South Carolina athletics, and the South Carolina General Assembly.

Wiseman has received numerous state-level press association awards for his work. He earned his degree from Illinois State University in 1989.

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