Duke’s Caleb Foster game-time call for Sweet 16 vs. St. John’s

  • March 26, 2026

  • Jeff BorzelloMar 26, 2026, 02:39 PM ET

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    • Basketball recruiting insider.
    • Joined ESPN in 2014.
    • Graduate of University of Delaware.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Duke’s coach, Jon Scheyer, announced on Thursday that Blue Devils guard Caleb Foster’s participation in Friday’s Sweet 16 game against St. John’s will be determined just before the match.

Foster, who serves as the starting point guard for the top-seeded team overall, has been absent from the last five contests since sustaining a foot fracture during a game versus North Carolina earlier in the current month.

The junior player, standing 6 feet 5 inches tall, engaged in “some activity” during Wednesday’s practice, and Scheyer indicated that his availability for Friday would depend on his continued recovery and how he feels.

The head coach for Duke stated, “He plans to exert his utmost effort to play in tomorrow evening’s game.”

Before his injury, Foster was experiencing a remarkable season, having commenced 30 out of the squad’s initial 31 matches and recording averages of 8.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists, alongside a 40.2% success rate from beyond the arc. He played a pivotal role in several of Duke’s significant victories this season, contributing 15 points and eight assists against Arkansas; 20 points when facing Louisville; and 12 points with four assists in a triumph over then-ranked No. 1 Michigan.

In Foster’s absence, Scheyer has opted to start five-star freshman Cayden Boozer, the sibling of Cameron Boozer, who is a leading contender for Duke’s National Player of the Year award, in the backcourt. Boozer has maintained an average of 13.8 points and 3.2 assists during that period and delivered 19 points along with five assists in Duke’s opening-round NCAA tournament victory against Siena.

Coach Scheyer also mentioned that sophomore center Pat Ngongba is anticipated to participate in Friday evening’s contest versus the No. 5 seed St. John’s (30-6). Ngongba, having commenced 28 games this season, was sidelined for five matches due to a foot ailment before rejoining the team for their second-round triumph against TCU, where he played 13 minutes as a reserve.

This season, Ngongba has maintained averages of 10.5 points and 6.0 rebounds.