Duke freshman DeMarus Nelson will be out 2 to 4 weeks after rupturing a thumb ligament during Saturday's Blue-White Scrimmage. The guard underwent surgery on his right hand Tuesday and will likely return in time for the Blue Devils' season opener Nov. 20 against Tennessee-Martin.
Duke freshman DeMarcus Nelson will be out 2 to 4 weeks after rupturing a thumb ligament during Saturday’s Blue-White Scrimmage. The guard underwent surgery on his right hand Tuesday and will likely return in time for the Blue Devils’ season opener Nov. 20 against Tennessee-Martin.
“Injuries are part of the game and if there is a bright side, it is that it happened early in the season and the expected recovery time is relatively short,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said in a statement Tuesday. “We have the best medical personnel working with DeMarcus and we’re very optimistic about a quick return.”
Nelson scored five points on 2-for-8 shooting and pulled down two rebounds in 29 minutes Saturday.
Although Nelson has only had a week and a half of formal practice under his belt, he has been on campus since July training with members of the team.
After Saturday’s contest, Nelson said he already had a strong understanding of Duke’s sets and how his teammates play but was working on “learning all the Duke principles as far as offensively and defensively and being more precise with every movement on the court.”
A top-30 recruit, Nelson was a McDonald’s All-American in high school. The 6-foot-3, 195 pound guard holds the California state high school record with 3,462 career points.
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