How Dariq Whitehead’s measured return to Duke basketball has impacted the Blue Devils

To understand the first month of Dariq Whitehead’s college basketball career, envision a toddler taking a few steps, falling, getting up and moving forward.

Eventually, the youngster makes it all the way across the room without a tumble.

Projected as an NBA Draft lottery pick before he’d worn Duke’s uniform, the 6-7 Whitehead fractured his right foot in late August and wasn’t available when the Blue Devils opened the season on Nov. 7.

Since making his Duke debut on Nov. 18, Whitehead displayed the explosiveness and athleticism that made him one of the top players in the 2022 recruiting class. He also showed the rust as he rehabilitated his healing right foot, be it driving through the lane and leaping only to come up short on a dunk, or misfiring on an open shot.

Finally, in No. 12 Duke’s 82-55 win over Maryland-Eastern Shore on Saturday night, Whitehead found his stride. This time, his aggressive drive through the lane resulted in an emphatic one-handed slam dunk that left Cameron Indoor Stadium’s crowd — and his teammates — cheering in celebration.

“He finally came out of his shell,” said fellow Duke freshman Dereck Lively II, who was on the court and animatedly reacted with awe to the play. “He’s finally able to do it. And I know that this is just the tip of the iceberg. When it comes to Dariq, he’s got a lot more.”

Whitehead’s 25 minutes against Maryland-Eastern Shore were his most in a game this season. He scored 15 points while collecting two steals, two assists, two rebounds and a blocked shot.

That dunk, though, by leaping and landing in the lane with three defenders in the area, showed he’s regained confidence in his surgically repaired foot.

“It felt good,” Whitehead said. “It felt really good, just to get back in the groove of things. Getting my legs back. It felt really good.”

Targeted return

It’s taken more than three months to get there.

Whitehead was injured during a team workout and had surgery the following day. Initially on crutches, he eventually just used a walking boot on his right foot. All along, he fully intended to play in November, even saying in early October he wanted to be ready for Duke’s season-opening game with Jacksonville.

He was in street clothes for that game, when Duke opened the Jon Scheyer coaching era with a 71-44 win, but that didn’t signal any reluctance on his part about getting on the court. A week-and-a-half later, he played his first college game in a 92-58 win over Delaware.

Given his promising future in pro basketball, Whitehead had every right to slow play a return to ensure no chance for complications down the road.

Playing for Duke as soon as possible, though, was always Whitehead’s intention.

“Guys usually tend to do what is best for themselves,” Whitehead said. “Me, I just wanted to do what’s best for my team. I felt like if I could come back and help my team in any way possible, that was something I should do.”

Scheyer noticed and appreciated it, especially that Whitehead played during the busy November and early December schedule that saw the Blue Devils play 12 games over the season’s first 34 days. That included five games against teams that produced Quadrant 1 results for Duke in the NET ratings.

“I give him a lot of credit because it would have been very easy just to wait and sit out,” Scheyer said after Whitehead scored eight points, grabbed six rebounds and recorded three assists in Duke’s 74-62 win over Iowa in New York on Dec. 6. “He wants to play and he came back and played during our toughest stretch. He’ll be better for going through this. But I thought you could see tonight how he can impact winning on any single given night.”

Playing his game

That’s the kind of impact Whitehead intends to bring to the Blue Devils on a larger basis in conference play. The Blue Devils have nothing but ACC opponents on their regular-season schedule, starting at Wake Forest on Dec. 20.

During his recovery and rehabilitation, Whitehead spoke to a pair of former Blue Devils who dealt with foot injuries during their college and pro careers and came out just fine on the other side.

“I talked to a lot of guys, talked to Grant Hill, talked to Jayson Tatum,” Whitehead said. “They said that’s something you tend to do, coming back, is second-guessing themselves. So I’m getting over that phase. Stop second-guessing myself and play my game.”

Whitehead gives Duke another strong perimeter defender which will only help a team that’s proven to be stout on that end of the court. On offense, he can help boost the Blue Devils with scoring and play-making, areas where they’ve not been as strong at times this season.

During the recruiting process, watching the New Jersey-born Whitehead play in high school at Florida’s Montverde Academy or on the summer grassroots circuit with Team Durant in Nike EYBL, Scheyer saw plenty of solid play he knows can help the Blue Devils be their best this season.

“He can have some big scoring games,” Scheyer said. “He can also really impact the game with his versatility. He’s a complete player. A defender. Can really pass.”

Catching up

After missing so much crucial preseason work, Whitehead gets a chance to catch up some during December. The Blue Devils (10-2, 1-0 ACC) are in the midst of a 10-day break from games before playing Wake Forest. After that, they don’t play again until Dec. 31 at home with Florida State.

Final exams and time home for a holiday break mean not all that time will be spent on the basketball court, of course. Still, Scheyer anticipates even more production from Whitehead going forward.

“I want him to get out in transition and attack the basket more,” Scheyer said. “I don’t think he’s shown that yet. I think you’ll see soon just what a defender he can be, too. I mean, with his size and athleticism, he can guard multiple positions.”

Whitehead’s teammates are confident that all that will be on display regularly soon. Having recovered from a calf muscle injury himself, the 7-1 Lively said he and Whitehead have nothing on their minds but helping the Blue Devils win big.

“We’re focused on where we are right now,” Lively said. “We’re here at Duke. We want to win at Duke. We want to make a name for ourselves. That’s all we do. All that’s gonna happen is if we win, we’ll make a name for ourselves.”