Trevor Keels progressing ‘very well.’ Duke guard taking part in some team activities
Still not practicing, Duke’s Trevor Keels remains doubtful to return to play for the No. 9 Blue Devils when they meet Clemson on Tuesday night.
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said the 6-5, 221-pound Keels is making progress returning from injury, but his work is limited to off-court situations.
“He has progressed very well but he has still not gotten on a court,” Krzyzewski said Monday. “In saying that, he is in the weight room. He’s doing all the things our sports scientists want to make sure we’re treating this injury properly and not rushing his return.”
Keels suffered a calf injury during the second half of Duke’s 79-78 overtime loss at Florida State on Jan. 18. After initially being helped off the court, he was able to bear weight on the leg and walked on his own power on the team’s trip home after the game.
“At that lower part of the leg, there’s a lot going on down there,” Krzyzewski said. “You want to make sure that he’s 100%. But he’s doing much better.”
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Speaking just prior to noon on Monday, Krzyzewski termed Keels “doubtful” to play against Clemson on Tuesday with the caveat that the team had yet to practice on Monday.
Keels started all of Duke’s first 17 games. On Saturday, when the Blue Devils beat Syracuse 79-59 at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Keels was on the bench, in street clothes and out of Duke’s lineup for the first time this season.
Duke sophomore guard Jeremy Roach, Keels’ former high school teammate at Paul VI in Fairfax, Va., returned to the Blue Devils’ starting lineup with Keels out. He led Duke with nine assists, while making 2 of 10 shots to score six points, against Syracuse.
After playing Clemson at home on Tuesday night, the Blue Devils hit the road to play at Louisville on Saturday before facing Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, on Monday night. Following those two games, the Blue Devils play the first of two games against rival North Carolina. The Feb. 5 game is at Chapel Hill.
Keels averages 11.9 points and 3.2 assists per game. He’s made 39.9% of his shots from the field, including 27 of 89 (30.3%) 3-pointers.
This story was originally published January 24, 2022 at 12:48 PM with the headline "Trevor Keels progressing ‘very well.’ Duke guard taking part in some team activities."