Trevor Keels’ status for Duke basketball is uncertain. Starting guard has leg injury

No. 6 Duke played the final 15 minutes of Tuesday night’s 79-78 overtime loss to Florida State without freshman guard Trevor Keels and the Blue Devils have no idea when he’ll be available again.

The rugged 6-5, 221-pound Keels, who has started every game for Duke this season, injured the calf on his right leg, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said.

“It’s not a knee it’s a calf injury,” Krzyzewski said. “But we don’t know the extent of it.”

Averaging 12.1 points this season, Keels scored nine points against Florida State before leaving the game with 10:11 remaining in regulation. His right leg twisted awkwardly in a pileup of players after he fouled Florida State’s Jalen Warley.

Krzyzewski and Jose Fonseca, Duke’s head men’s basketball athletic trainer, immediately ran on the court to tend to Keels, who writhed on the floor in pain. Three Duke players, plus Krzyzewski and Fonseca, helped Keels to his feet.

Keels draped his arms around two of his teammates, who helped him from the court. After initially not putting weight on his right leg, he did eventually gingerly walk, with aid from teammates, to the bench. He was taken back to Duke’s locker room and did not return to the game.

The leg will be further examined back at Duke.

Without him, Duke rallied from a nine-point, second-half deficit before losing in overtime.

The Blue Devils have a busy schedule upcoming. Saturday’s home game with Syracuse is the first of four games Duke will play over a 10-day stretch. The Blue Devils play Clemson at home on Jan. 25, followed by road games at Louisville on Jan. 29 and Notre Dame on Jan. 31.

“Playing without Trevor is tough,” Duke junior forward and team co-captain Wendell Moore said. “He’s one of our main ball-handlers. He’s one of our main scorers. He’s definitely one of our best on-ball defenders. So he brings a lot to us. Not having him, everybody has to step up. I think some of the guys did a pretty good job tonight in his absence.”

Keels’ injury meant sophomore Jeremy Roach, who had started Duke’s first 14 games before coming off the bench the last three, was thrust back into a more prominent role. Averaging 8.3 points with 2.9 assists per game this season, Roach played 29 minutes at Florida State. He scored six points and collected six assists with one turnover.

“It’s a quick turnaround,” Moore said. “Hopefully we’ll have Trevor on Saturday (against Syracuse). If not, we have to take it as a next man mentality and have his back on Saturday.”

Getting you ready for Duke vs. Syracuse

• Duke basketball provides updates on Trevor Keels’ status, Cameron Indoor food policy

• Durham drivers will soon see Coach K on two billboards. Here’s where they will be

• Duke’s two ACC losses highlighted by uncharacteristically high turnover rate

• Watch: What does Duke’s loss at Florida State mean for the Blue Devils as they move forward?

This story was originally published January 19, 2022 at 1:24 AM.

Steve Wiseman

The News & Observer

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Steve Wiseman was named Raleigh News & Observer and Durham Herald-Sun sports editor in May 2025. He covered Duke athletics, beginning in 2010, prior to his current assignment. In the Associated Press Sports Editors national contest, he placed in the top 10 in beat writing in 2019, 2021 and 2022, breaking news in 2019, event coverage in 2025 and explanatory writing in 2018. Before coming to Durham in 2010, Steve worked for The State (Columbia, SC), Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, S.C.), The Sun Herald (Biloxi, Miss.), Charlotte Observer and Hickory (NC) Daily Record covering beats including the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints, University of South Carolina athletics and the S.C. General Assembly. He’s won numerous state-level press association awards. Steve graduated from Illinois State University in 1989.