Duke basketball center Dereck Lively II won't play in season opener against Jacksonville
DURHAM – Duke freshman center Dereck Lively II won't play in Monday night’s 2022-2023 season opener against Jacksonville, according to a source close to the team.
The 7-foot-1 center was labeled day-to-day by first-year coach Jon Scheyer last week as Lively continues to heal from a calf injury that kept him out of the Blue Devils’ preseason scrimmages.
More:How Jon Scheyer intends to create his own legacy with Duke basketball as Coach K's replacement
No. 7 Duke (0-0) will also be without freshman forward Dariq Whitehead, who fractured his right foot during a team workout in August that required surgery. Scheyer said last week that the 2022 Naismith High School Player of the Year is “still a couple weeks away” from making a full recovery and joining his Duke team on the court.
Monday marks Scheyer’s first game as Duke’s head coach since taking over for Mike Krzyzewski after last season’s run to the Final Four.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Duke basketball will be without Dereck Lively II in season opener
