After missing 13 ACC games with a right foot injury, Ryan Kelly toughed it out and played the end of the season.
But the senior forward was not fully healed and underwent successful surgery on his foot Tuesday. Kelly will be sidelined for approximately 12 weeks, according to a statement released by the team.
The 12-week recovery period should have Kelly returning right around the time of June 27’s NBA Draft, though that means Kelly will likely miss all of the pre-draft workouts.
“Ryan has been a terrific member of the Duke program throughout his career and has a bright professional future,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said in the press release. “He showed amazing courage playing during the last part of our season leading us to the Eight Eight. With this surgery Ryan is expected to return to 100 percent and pursue his dream of playing in the NBA.”
The operation took place at Duke Ambulatory Surgery Center and was performed by Dr. James Nunley, the department chair of orthopaedic surgery. According to Nunley’s DukeHealth profile, his clinical interests are, “Foot and ankle surgery, arthritis and sports injuries of the foot and ankle, ankle replacement.”
Kelly won the ACC Player of the Week award twice this season but aggravated an existing foot injury Jan. 8 against Clemson. He subsequently sat out until the team’s home game against then-No. 5 Miami March 2, when he scored a career-high 36 points on 10-of-14 shooting, including 7-of-9 3-pointers.
Kelly finished the season averaging 12.9 points per game but struggled late in the season while playing through his injury. In the NCAA Tournament, Kelly averaged just 6.3 points per game and made only 1-of-13 3-pointers.
In Kelly’s four years, he helped win two ACC Championships and was a freshman on the 2010 national championship team.
He ranks fourth in Duke history with a 111-15 record on the floor, good for a .881 winning percentage.
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