Duke basketball freshman suffers broken hand prior to summer workouts

The Duke basketball team was dealt an injury blow early in the summer after the team announced on Friday afternoon that freshman guard Darren Harris suffered a broken non-shooting hand over the summer that required surgery.

Players reported to campus last week for its summer workouts and Harris was noticeably absent in videos the program posted throughout thr week.

The Blue Devils said that he underwent surgery on Tuesday at Duke Medical Center is on track for a complete recovery, but did not provide a timeline for when he will return to the court.

Darren Harris, a standout from Paul VI (Va.), is ranked as a 4-star recruit and the No. 38 player in the Class of 2024, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. He was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Virginia after averaging 17.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.9 steals per game during his senior season.

Last summer, he was the Most Valuable Player of the Nike EYBL Peach Jam after scoring 28 points on 5-of-7 shooting from 3-point range in the title game. He also gathered All-EYBL First Team honors.

Harris helped Paul VI reach the Chipotle Nationals title game this season, eventually falling to future teammate Cooper Flagg and Montverde Academy (Fla.). He scored 36 points in the quarterfinals against IMG Academy (Fla.).

Duke does have depth at its guard position with returning players Caleb Foster and Tyrese Proctor and the addition of Tulane transfer Sion James and freshman Kon Knueppel.

Missing most of the summer will put Darren Harris behind most of his teammates from a developmental standpoint, but he will still be expected to play a role on the Blue Devils this season with his ability to shoot the ball and excellent vision as a passer and tenacity as a rebounder.