Duke basketball: Dariq Whitehead will not play against Miami

The Duke basketball will not have the services of freshman Dariq Whitehead against Miami. 

Monday night marks two weeks since Duke basketball forward Dariq Whitehead suffered a lower leg strain against Virginia Tech and it will also mark his fourth consecutive missed game.

The program announced on Monday afternoon that the freshman will not play against No. 19 Miami (18-5, 9-4 ACC).

Whitehead had be targeting a return against North Carolina on Saturday night but after suffering “stiffness” in practice on Friday head coach Jon Scheyer decided to hold out the five-star prospect.

The Newark, New Jersey native did go through an on-court workout at Cameron Indoor Stadium prior to the Blue Devil victory against the Tar Heels but Scheyer said following the game that he didn’t know about his status for Monday night.

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“He’s really close to full health. The next thing is just being game ready,” Scheyer added in his postgame remarks.

Whitehead was posting 11.1 points per game since December 10 but is posting 8.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per contest throughout his freshman campaign.

“He can add just a different dimension to our team,” Scheyer said on Saturday.

“We felt like [working out on Saturday] was the next step…We want him 100-percent healthy.”

Dariq Whitehead scored 10 points in Duke’s victory over then No. 17 Miami on January 21 in Durham.

Potential return dates for Duke basketball freshman forward

Duke will not play again until Saturday, February 11 on the road against No. 8 Virginia (17-4, 9-3 ACC) following its matchup with the Hurricanes, marking another potential return date for the No. 2 overall high school recruit.

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The Blue Devils (17-6, 8-4 ACC) have won its last three games (Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, North Carolina) since Dariq Whitehead’s injury against the Hokies and sport a 5-1 record without the freshman this season.

Tipoff between Duke and Miami is scheduled for 7:00p.m. ET (ESPN) while the Blue Devils and Cavaliers will tipoff at 4:00p.m. ET (ESPN) in Charlottesville.