Senior forward Ryan Kelly is sidelined indefinitely after aggravating an injury to his right foot, according to a press release from the team.
Kelly suffered the injury in the first half of Tuesday’s 68-40 victory against Clemson, though he played through the end of the period. After scoring 12 points in the first half, he did not play in the second half.
“We feel very badly for Ryan,” Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski said in the press release. “He is playing the best basketball of his career and this is a tough setback for him. We’re hoping for a good recovery and we are optimistic about his return.”
The 6-foot-11 big man first injured his right foot at the end of last season, forcing him to miss the ACC and NCAA Tournaments. The Blue Devils lost to Florida State in the semifinals of the conference tournament and then lost in their opening game of the NCAA Tournament to Lehigh.
Kelly reinjured the foot in December and Tuesday further aggravated it.
The senior is averaging a career-high 13.4 points per game, also adding 5.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. He has excelled as an outside shooter, making 52.1 percent of his 3-pointers.
In the past two weeks, Kelly took his game to new heights for the Blue Devils. He had averaged 16.0 points per game in the four games prior to his injury against Clemson. He hit 70.6 percent of his 3-pointers in that span, highlighted by a 5-for-7 performance en route to 22 points against Wake Forest.
The No. 1 Blue Devils return to action Saturday against No. 20 N.C. State.
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