Why Duke coach Jon Scheyer had guard Jeremy Roach miss win over Maryland-Eastern Shore
His play during games having belied the discomfort he’s experienced the last two weeks, Jeremy Roach took a much-needed break on Saturday.
The Duke junior guard didn’t play when the No. 15 Blue Devils routed Maryland-Eastern Shore, 82-55, at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Though a toe injury on his right foot has kept him from practicing, Roach wasn’t the one who made the decision to have him in street clothes rather than in the starting lineup.
“He hasn’t said one word,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “He’s been battling. I actually had to go to him to talk to him about it. Because he’s a true warrior out there.”
Roach continues to deal with a toe injury he suffered on Nov. 27 during Duke’s 75-56 loss to Purdue in the Phil Knight Legacy tournament championship game at Portland’s Moda Center.
Saturday’s game was Duke’s final nonconference game. The Blue Devils (10-2) don’t play again until an ACC game at Wake Forest on Dec. 20. They get another extended break before returning to ACC play at home with Florida State on Dec. 31.
So, having Roach sit out the Maryland-Eastern Shore game to provide an extended period of rest for his toe made sense to Scheyer and the team’s medical staff.
“He’ll be okay for our next game,” Scheyer said. “He just has been playing through pain. He hasn’t been able to practice. He hasn’t been able to do extra work. For us, his health comes first before any game, and this is the one chance we have for him to get back to 100%.”
The 6-2 Roach continued to play exceptionally well for the Blue Devils despite the injury, averaging 13.6 points while Duke won three games following that Purdue loss. Despite the nagging nature of the injury, Roach played an average of 32.7 minutes per game while Duke beat Ohio State, 81-72, on Nov. 30, Boston College, 75-59, on Dec. 3, and Iowa, 74-62, on Tuesday night.
Roach matched a career-high with 22 points against Iowa and is now averaging 13.1 points and 3.5 assists per game this season. Prior to Saturday, he’d started every game this season for Duke.
Roach injured a toe on his right foot in the first half against Purdue. He limped to the bench and, after receiving treatment from the medical staff, returned to play. But he experienced discomfort and left the game to head to the locker room.
“He definitely hurt his toe there,” Scheyer said following the Purdue game on Nov. 27.
However, after halftime, he played the second half and totaled 37 minutes of play against Purdue. He played 33, 28 and 37 minutes over Duke’s next three games.
Scheyer and the Blue Devils would like to have him available for that kind of workload the rest of the season. Taking a game off Saturday was a step toward that goal.
“He won’t do anything for the next couple of days,” Scheyer said. “He’s already progressing healing wise.”
This story was originally published December 10, 2022 at 3:30 PM.