Duke’s Caleb Foster game-time decision for Sweet 16 matchup vs. St John’s

Earlier this week, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer told CBS’ Jon Rothstein that when starting point guard Caleb Foster went down with a fracture in his right foot during a regular-season finale win over North Carolina, he thought there was a “one in a million” chance Foster would play in this year’s NCAA tournament.

“Since he’s gotten hurt, Caleb, the way that he’s worked, the chances have continued to increase,” Scheyer said at the time.

And on Thursday, a day out from Friday’s Sweet 16 showdown versus No. 5 St. John’s, Scheyer described the junior as a game-time decision for the top-seeded Blue Devils.

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“Caleb, I just go back to when he got hurt,” Scheyer said in his Thursday news conference. “He told me, ‘Look, if I do this and work every day, you’ve got to promise me you’re going to let me put this uniform on again with our guys.’

“And he’s in a position where he’s going to try to do that tomorrow night. He had a good day of practice yesterday doing a little bit. We have to see how he feels today.”

Scheyer added: “He’s going to give it everything that he has to go tomorrow night.”

Foster, who is averaging 8.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game in his third season at Duke, has missed the past five games with his foot injury.

In his absence, Scheyer has leaned on freshman Cayden Boozer, the twin brother of top NBA Draft prospect and National Player of the Year candidate Cameron Boozer. Cayden has risen to the occasion, averaging 13.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 48.2% from the field in that span.

Perhaps most notably, he chipped in a much-needed 19 points and five assists in a too-close-for-comfort victory over No. 16 Siena in the Round of 64.

But Foster’s experience is invaluable. He’s stepped in big-time moments throughout this season, like when he piled up 15 points and eight assists in a Nov. 27 win against Arkansas and when he hit a pair of 3s and dished out four dimes in a Feb. 21 triumph over Michigan.

While Foster was seen by reporters riding into Washington D.C.’s Capital One Arena on a scooter before practice on Thursday, he wasn’t wearing a boot while on the court.

Scheyer also said that sophomore center Patrick Ngongba II is on track to play again on Friday after rejoining the lineup for a second-round win over No. 9 TCU.

Ngongba missed the opener against Siena and had been out since March 2 with a foot injury of his own.