For Jon Scheyer’s Blue Devils, the joy of winning the ACC regular season title was brutally short-lived.

Jon Scheyer has led his Duke team admirably in the regular season, with the Blue Devils winning the ACC regular season title and ending the campaign with the first seed overall. However, their latest win over North Carolina provided two unfortunate updates.

Key starters Patrick Ngongba II and Caleb Foster are going to miss the ACC Tournament. And while Ngongba could make it in time for the NCAA Tournament, Frost has undergone surgery on Sunday and is out for the ‘foreseeable future’.

This update has fans doubting the team’s ability to live up to the tag of being the heavy favorite to be the National Champion.

Fans concerned about Duke’s roster depth after the latest injury update

Some fans highlighted the lack of depth available for Duke head coach Jon Scheyer, understanding how hard it will be for the team to rotate the players. One fan said,” Duke’s already thin roster just got thinner. Tough break for Foster and the team.”

Losing two key starters will test any team’s resolve. However, for a Duke side that only plays about 8 players who receive some substantial minutes, it can derail their whole season. The ACC Tournament is now an uphill task for Jon Scheyer and co. after these injuries.

Another fan noticed the timing of the injuries. They said,” Avoided the injury bug all year just to have it decimate you in the postseason. Brutal beat.”

Jon Scheyer didn’t have to deal with a host of injuries in the regular season. So, the Duke team has no experience dealing with such situations this year, and the untimely nature of the injuries is going to test their resolve.

Another highlighted how Patrick Ngongba II’s availability is more necessary. They highlighted,” They can win without Foster, but no Pat is a sweet 16 loss.”

While there are multiple options to replace Caleb Foster – bringing in Cayden Boozer and also increasing Cameron Boozer’s usage in offense- Ngongba’s absence will make Duke much weaker in the paint, and we can only imagine how opponents can exploit a weak Duke frontcourt.

One fan pointed to the inevitable. They said,” Cayden Boozer’s role just got a whole lot bigger.”

Cayden Boozer is currently averaging around 20 minutes per game. But Frost’s absence will thrust him into the starting five, and possibly give him the platform to show he is deserving of a starting role for Duke in the immediate future.

One fan couldn’t help but predict an upset on the cards. “FSU will upset Duke in round 2,” they announced.

The Florida State Seminoles face California and could set up a meeting with Duke in Round 2. And they already ran Duke close, losing by just four points in their only matchup in the regular season. With two of their key contributors out, it would be foolish to rule out the prospect of Florida State covering that four-point gap in the ACC Tournament.