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Duke Basketball: Marques Bolden ruled out for the ACC Tournament

By Kevin Connelly

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 09: Marques Bolden #20 of the Duke Blue Devils is helped off the floor by teammates after an injury during their game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Dean Smith Center on March 09, 2019 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 09: Marques Bolden #20 of the Duke Blue Devils is helped off the floor by teammates after an injury during their game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Dean Smith Center on March 09, 2019 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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The Duke Basketball starting center, Marques Bolden, will not play in the ACC Tournament after suffering a knee injury in Saturday’s loss to North Carolina.

Marques Bolden was enjoying a career season in his junior year in Durham, but after a scary injury in Saturday’s loss on the road against North Carolina, Duke Basketball Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski confirmed on Monday that Bolden will not play in the ACC Tournament.

Bolden had a chase down block on Garrison Brooks but the two got tangled up and the Duke big man went awkwardly into the stanchion of the basket and fell hard to the floor in a lot of pain.

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After staying down on the floor for several minutes, Bolden was helped to the Duke locker room by Antonio Vrankovic and Justin Robinson and did not return to the game.

However, Bolden did gingerly walk and return to the Blue Devils bench for the second half as well as walking under his own power back to the Duke locker room after the final buzzer.

After the game Coach K said that is was an MCL sprain for Marques Bolden and that it was not an ACL injury, but he did not know the severity of the sprain.

On the season, Bolden is averaging 5.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game, while shooting 60.4% from the field and a much improved 71.8% from the free throw line.

The Blue Devils are expecting to get Zion Williamson for the ACC Tournament, but the loss of Bolden means that Javin DeLaurier will most likely be inserted back into the starting lineup after playing an excellent game on Saturday.

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DeLaurier finished with eight points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks on Saturday and on the season the junior captain is averaging 3.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game.

The Blue Devils will play its first ACC Tournament game on Thursday night at approximately 9:30pm ET on ESPN against either Syracuse, Boston College, or Pittsburgh.

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