Duke basketball continues streak of bad news in 2021

The bad news continues for the Duke basketball program in 2021.

The year 2021 was supposed to break free from the depressing, bad-news-filled 2020, but that has not come to fruition yet for the Duke basketball program.

On Monday afternoon, head coach Mike Krzyzewski revealed on his weekly ACC press conference that he will miss Duke’s next scheduled game against Boston College because of COVID-19 protocols and quarantine regulations.

Krzyzewski revealed that a member of his family had tested positive for COVID-19, whom he had been in close contact with, and he and his wife, Mickie, are quarantining in their home.

Associate head coach Jon Scheyer will assume head coaching duties on Wednesday night for the Hall of Famer, as he was scheduled to do on Saturday against Florida State before the game was postponed because of COVID-19 issues with the Seminoles.

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Mike Krzyzewski did not provide a further timeline on if he would be available to coach for Duke’s following game on Saturday afternoon against Wake Forest.

After their meeting with the Demon Deacons, the Blue Devils will hit the road for a three-game trip, spanning 12 days against Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, and Louisville.

Duke basketball has not been able to catch a break recently

Since Mike Krzyzewski made the decision to cancel the remainder of Duke’s non-conference schedule and not try to reschedule any of its postponed games, the Blue Devils have only played one game.

On December 15, the team announced five-star freshman Jalen Johnson would be out ‘indefinitely’ with a foot injury, and the following day, Duke picked up a victory over Notre Dame in its most complete game of the season.

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Since then, Duke has seen two games postponed within 24 hours of tipoff because of virus issues with its opponent, and its 73-year-old head coach entered quarantine.

However, it does appear Johnson is close to a return to the court, and the continued postponed games could result in the 6-foot-9 forward only missing one contest.

Jon Scheyer will, hopefully, begin his head coaching career on Wednesday, January 6 as the Boston College Eagles (2-7, 0-3 ACC) travel to Durham to face the No. 21 Blue Devils (3-2, 1-0 ACC) at 8:30pm EST (ACC Network).