CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Touted Duke freshman Dariq Whitehead is set to return for Saturday’s game at No. 8 Virginia (3 p.m. ET, ESPN) after missing four games with an injury.
The 6-foot-7, 220-pound wing had suffered a sprain in his lower left leg in a loss at Virginia Tech in an injury that looked potentially serious.
He had been hurt when he jumped to knock a ball away from Hokies forward Justyn Mutts. He grabbed at the back of his lower leg near his ankle as he landed. He ended the night on crutches with ice wrapped around his leg.
First-year coach Jon Scheyer said Whitehead had avoided a season-ending injury but he didn’t have a clear timeline to return.
Whitehead had averaged 8.4 points and 2.3 rebounds in his 16 appearances, starting his last five games. He arrived at Duke as part of the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class.