An already thin Duke team will be down a starter when they take on Louisville Saturday afternoon at the KFC Yum Center. The team announced Friday that junior guard Matt Jones will miss the game after suffering a sprained left ankle during the Blue Devils' upset win over North Carolina on Wednesday.
Jones, who averages 11.2 points per game, is one of just two Duke players who has started every game this season. Known primarily as a defensive stopper, Jones played the biggest part in limiting Damion Lee to 3 of 15 shooting from the field in Louisville's 72-65 loss at Cameron Indoor Stadium earlier this month.
Jones played just 9 minutes in the North Carolina game before suffering his injury, forcing fellow guards Brandon Ingram and Grayson Allen to play all 40 minutes of the contest. Another guard, Derryck Thornton, played 39 minutes.
Duke has been utilizing a 7-man rotation since they lost Amile Jefferson, but playing just six guys seems like it could be a little much. We know freshman Luke Kennard is going to play a bunch, but it'll be interesting to see if Coach K gives someone else off the bench a little more time than they've seen over the past two months.
