Duke basketball freshman wing undergoes foot surgery

Duke basketball will be without one of its stars for the next few weeks.

Prized Duke basketball freshman wing Dariq Whitehead has undergone surgery to repair a fracture in his right foot suffered on Monday during a team workout.

The surgery, which was performed on Tuesday by Duke Athletics Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ned Amendola, was announced by the program not long after.

The usual recovery timeline for a fractured foot is around 6-8 weeks.

According to the announcement, Whitehead is schedule to begin rehab immediately and the hope is that he’ll be back on the court somewhat soon.

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“We are happy to share that Dariq [Whitehead] underwent a successful procedure today, and is in the best care with our doctors and rehabilitation staff,” head coach Jon Scheyer said.

“We’re confident he’ll be back on the court soon.”

The 2022 Naismith High School Player of the Year was having a strong offseason as he looks to play a key role in Scheyer’s first year at the helm of this Duke basketball program.

A 6-foot-6 forward from Newark, New Jersey, Whitehead was ranked as the No. 2 overall player in the Class of 2022 via the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

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Dariq Whitehead was joined by five-star center Dereck Lively II, five-star forward Kyle Filipowski, five-star forward Mark Mitchell, four-star guard Jaden Schutt, four-star guard Tyrese Proctor, and three-star center Christian Reeves as the top ranked incoming recruiting class in the country.

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Whitehead figures to be a shoe-in for a starting role this fall, alongside Lively, as the wing could be a Top-3 selection in next summer’s 2023 NBA Draft.

His rehab and availability for this Blue Devil team will be key in the coming weeks.

Duke is scheduled to open its season season on Monday, November 7 against Jacksonville University inside of Cameron Indoor Stadium.