Duke announces Christian Reeves to miss remainder of season, Jaden Schutt to redshirt after surgeries

A couple of Duke players who have been banged up have now been confirmed as out for the remainder of the 2023-24 season after undergoing surgeries.

Blue Devils center Christian Reeves and guard Jaden Schutt “both recently underwent successful surgical procedures,” Duke announced on Twitter on Thursday.

Reeves had surgery on his right ankle, while Schutt had surgery on his left knee.

Christian Reeves, who is a sophomore, appeared in three games this season, prior to being injured. He scored 5 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in 16 minutes on the year.

The 7-foot-1, 261 pound center was ranked as a three-star recruit and the No. 23 center in the country in the class of 2023, according to the On3 Industry rankings. As a freshman, Reeves appeared in 13 games, including six in ACC play. He averaged 1.5 points and 1.0 rebounds per game.

Jaden Schutt scored six points in 12 minutes during an exhibition against UNC Pembroke, before being sidelined for the year.

Schutt signed with Duke as a four-star prospect and the No. 66 overall player in the country in the class of 2022, according to the On3 Industry rankings.

As a freshman with the Blue Devils, Schutt averaged 2.1 points per game, while appearing in 14 contests. He shot 35 percent from 3-point range as a freshman.

Duke is currently 16-4 (7-2) on the year, ahead of a huge showdown with North Carolina this weekend.

Tyrese Proctor credits defense in 77-67 win over Virginia Tech

Despite being without a couple of sophomores for most of the season, Duke has continued to win games.

That continued earlier this week when the Blue Devils earned a road victory over Virginia Tech.

Duke held the Hokies to 27 percent from beyond the arc as the Blue Devils cruised to a 77-67 win over Virginia Tech on the road on Monday.

Despite losing five of the last six games inside Cassell Coliseum dating back to 2016, the Blue Devils never trailed in the second half. Sophomore Tyrese Proctor scored 12 points and contributed five assists during the Duke victory. He explained what the Blue Devils did to change their narrative in Blacksburg.

“I thought we just defended really well,” Proctor said postgame, via the ESPN broadcast. “The big emphasis was coming in and making a half court game. They’re a great three three-point shooting team and a great free throw team. We were just trying to play a half court game without fouling. … Just being disciplined. We had a great scout and just sticking to that was a key. Just closing out with high hands and switching when we needed to.”