Mar 26, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer speaks with the media during a press conference ahead of the east regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Duke's Scheyer Praises Caleb Foster's Heroic Comeback

Originally posted on Duke Blue Devils on SI
By Hugh Straine | Last updated Mar 28, 2026 1:00 PM ET

The 1-seed Duke Blue Devils are advancing to their third consecutive Elite Eight appearance under head coach Jon Scheyer, as the Blue Devils took down 5-seed St. John's 80-75 on Friday night to move on. Duke will face 2-seed UConn for a spot in the Final Four.

Duke was certainly put to the test against a physical Red Storm club, and it took one heck of an effort for the Blue Devils to squeak out a victory, especially given that the team was not at 100%.

Both Patrick Ngongba and Caleb Foster were back in the lineup after missing the entirety of the postseason with foot injuries. Ngongba made an appearance in the Round of 32, but Foster remained sidelined.

Then, in miraculous fashion, it was reported that Foster would suit up for Duke in the Sweet 16 despite undergoing foot surgery just three weeks prior. In his minutes, Foster willed his team to a victory.

Caleb Foster Was Outstanding in Sweet 16

It was fairly easy to tell that Foster was not himself out there, specifically from a shooting perspective. Foster's first free throw barely grazed iron, and he air-balled a three a couple minutes later.

However, it wasn't about the shooting, but all the winning plays that Foster made to keep Duke in it. He scored seven straight points with Duke in a double-digit deficit in the second half and put his body on the line time and time again despite not being close to fully healthy.

In 19 minutes, Foster went for 11 points, three rebounds, and two assists on 5-of-8 (62.5%) shooting from the field. He scored all of his points in the second half and brought a sense of inspiration to a Blue Devils club that found itself on upset alert.

Jon Scheyer Gives Caleb Foster His Flowers

Following the win, Scheyer was holding back tears on the sidelines as he praised Foster's tremendous effort.

“He had no business playing today. That’s one of the most special performances I’ve ever seen," Scheyer said on the sidelines.

“His commitment to Duke, his commitment to me and the program has been unmatched… it was a surreal thing to coach. I really felt like he was going to will us to victory and that’s what he did," he later said in his postgame press conference.

Foster embodied what this Duke program is all about, and he will look to continue that momentum as the Blue Devils look to get back to the Final Four for the second season in a row.

This article first appeared on Duke Blue Devils on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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