BREAKING: Key man for Duke basketball is dealing with a serious injury that could end his season.
The Duke basketball team faced a setback early this summer when they announced on Friday that freshman guard Darren Harris broke his non-shooting hand, necessitating surgery. The players arrived on campus last week for summer workouts, and Harris’ absence was noticeable in the videos shared by the program throughout the week.
The Blue Devils stated that Harris had surgery on Tuesday at Duke Medical Center and is expected to make a full recovery, though no timeline for his return to the court was given.
Darren Harris, a prominent player from Paul VI (Va.), is ranked as a 4-star recruit and the No. 38 player in the Class of 2024 by the 247Sports Composite rankings. He earned the title of Gatorade Player of the Year in Virginia, averaging 17.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.9 steals per game in his senior year.
Injury update: Freshman Darren Harris fractured his non-shooting hand over the summer. He had surgery on Tuesday at Duke Medical Center and is on track for a full recovery.
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) June 21, 2024
Last summer, Darren Harris was named the Most Valuable Player of the Nike EYBL Peach Jam, scoring 28 points and hitting 5 of 7 three-pointers in the championship game. He also earned All-EYBL First Team honors.
This season, Harris helped Paul VI reach the Chipotle Nationals title game, where they were defeated by Montverde Academy (Fla.) and future Duke teammate Cooper Flagg. In the quarterfinals against IMG Academy (Fla.), Harris scored 36 points.
Duke has depth at the guard position with returning players Caleb Foster and Tyrese Proctor, along with Tulane transfer Sion James and freshman Kon Knueppel.
Although missing most of the summer will hinder Harris’ development compared to his teammates, he is still expected to contribute to the Blue Devils this season with his shooting ability, excellent passing vision, and tenacity as a rebounder.