Duke basketball: Trevor Keels injury status after loss to FSU
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No. 6 Duke played the final 15 minutes of Tuesday night’s 79-78 overtime loss to Florida State without first-year guard Trevor Keels and the Blue Devils have no idea when he will be available again.
The burly 6-foot-5, 221-pound Keels, who has started every game for Duke this season, suffered a calf injury in his right leg, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said.
“It’s not a knee, it’s a calf injury,” Krzyzewski said. “But we don’t know the extent of it.”
Averaging 12.1 points this season, Keels scored nine points against Florida State before leaving the game with 10:11 left in regulation. His right leg twisted awkwardly in a pile-up of players after fouling Florida State’s Jalen Warley.
Krzyzewski and Jose Fonseca, Duke’s head men’s basketball athletic trainer, immediately ran onto the court to tend to Keels, who was writhing on the floor. Three Duke players, plus Krzyzewski and Fonseca, helped Keels up.
Keels wrapped his arms around two of his teammates, who helped him from the field. After initially not putting any weight on his right leg, he eventually walked carefully, with the help of his teammates, to the bench. He was taken back to Duke’s locker room and did not return to the game.
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The leg will be further examined at Duke.
Without him, Duke recovered from a nine-point second-half deficit before losing in overtime.
The Blue Devils have a busy schedule ahead. Saturday’s home game with Syracuse is the first of four games Duke will play over a 10-day span. The Blue Devils face Clemson at home on Jan. 25, followed by road games at Louisville on Jan. 29 and Notre Dame on Jan. 31.
“Playing without Trevor is tough,” said Duke junior forward and team co-captain Wendell Moore. “He’s one of our main ball handlers. He’s one of our main scorers. He’s definitely one of our best defenders on the ball. So he brings us a lot. Not having him, everyone has to step in. I think some of the guys did a good job tonight in his absence.
Keels’ injury meant second Jeremy Roach, who started Duke’s first 14 games before coming off the bench the last three, was pushed back into a bigger role. Averaging 8.3 points and 2.9 assists per game this season, Roach played 29 minutes at Florida State. He scored six points and had six assists with a turnover.
“It’s a quick turnaround,” Moore said. “Hopefully we get Trevor on Saturday (against Syracuse). Otherwise, we have to take it as a next man mentality and have his back on Saturday.
This story was originally published January 19, 2022 1:24 a.m.