Three players that must step up for Duke in absence of Wendell Moore

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Duke basketball freshman Wendell Moore (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

The Duke Basketball team lost freshman Wendell Moore indefinitely due to a finger injury and the Blue Devils will need several players to step in his absence.

On Monday afternoon, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski dropped the bombshell that freshman forward Wendell Moore will be out indefinitely after breaking a bone in his hand in the win on Saturday night over the Miami Hurricanes.

Moore underwent surgery on Monday and the team announced that the procedure was successful, and while he is still out for an indefinite period of time, the press release stated that the North Carolina native would return at some point this season.

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Wendell Moore started to turn a corner this season as he looked much more aggressive and attaching in recent games, as he is averaging 7.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.1 steals per game.

While no timetable was given by the team for Moore’s injury, the typical recovery time for a break to the fourth metacarpal bone is anywhere between three to five weeks, which would put Moore back on the floor around February 1 against Syracuse, at the earliest.

In Wendell Moore’s absence, Duke will need a step up in production from several players and a positive sign for the Blue Devils is how Mike Krzyzewski has used his bench this season.

In past years, Coach K has trimmed his rotation as the season progressed and limited his rotation to seven or eight players, but this season Krzyzewski is using ten players per game and Duke appears to be equipped to deal with an injury like Moore’s.

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Time will tell how much Duke misses Wendell Moore on the court as the Blue Devils travel to face the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Wednesday night to wrap up its two-game road trip.

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