As basketball season approaches, the Blue Zone provides a detailed preview of each player on Duke men’s basketball’s 2024-25 roster. We’ve already looked at Cameron Sheffield, Patrick Ngongba II, Darren Harris, Isaiah Evans, Mason Gillis, Maliq Brown and Sion James. Next up is returning guard Caleb Foster:
Caleb Foster
Year: Sophomore
Height: 6-foot-5
Position: Guard
Last year’s stat line: 7.7 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 2.1 APG
Game breakdown: Foster is one of only two starting players to return from last year’s squad, so there is a significant amount of hype around him coming into this season. His freshman campaign started out extremely successful, and he presented a true scoring threat while also facilitating the offense very nicely when fellow returner Tyrese Proctor and former Blue Devil Jeremy Roach missed time with injuries. Unfortunately, similar bad luck fell his way, and an ankle fracture saw him miss the last nine games of the season.
Last season, Foster’s scoring abilities were not highlighted to their fullest extent, due to the other high level scorers that Duke carried. When he was in position to put up points, however, Foster was highly effective. As a freshman, the Harrisburg, N.C., native shot 43.7% from the field and 40.6% from 3-point range. From behind the arc, he primarily acted as a catch-and-shoot threat, receiving passes from the low post or on swing passes after the post scorers were double-teamed. Foster was also a fearless driver, extremely willing to finish through contact from bigger defenders or draw himself to the free throw line. These drives are where he shines distributing the ball. In this year’s Countdown to Craziness, he showed an inclination to create his own mid-range jump shots off of the dribble, which will be something to look out for.
Late in games, look for head coach John Scheyer to let Foster run the offense, either driving and dishing or creating free throw attempts. With Duke’s incoming talent down low, as well as with star forward Cooper Flagg, Foster’s ability to run the pick-and-roll should be the centerpiece of many sets for the Blue Devils this season.
Role on the team: Scheyer’s lineups to begin the season will almost certainly feature Foster in a starting role. Foster led his squad in both halves of Countdown, and he was the primary ball handler on almost all of his teams possessions. Transfer guard Sion James will certainly compete for minutes, particularly when defense is on the top of Scheyer’s mind. For the beginning of the season, however, Foster should sit comfortably in the starting five.
As one of the two returners, Foster is going to have to take on additional leadership, something not needed last year with the presence of Roach. Experienced guard play is crucial to success in college, so he and Proctor will be the anchors of the team down the stretch early on in the season. The talent of Duke’s freshmen is off the charts; Foster will be an important piece to keep the youngsters calm in tight games and help develop them as players throughout the year.
NBA comparison: Like Foster, Gabe Vincent is a guard that relies heavily on dribble penetration to expose defenses. He loves to drive the ball for the Los Angeles Lakers, and once inside, looks first to pass it to a big man for an easy basket. If the passing lanes are full, he is extremely comfortable taking it himself for difficult finishes around the rim. While Vincent is not going to dribble to his own 3-point shot, he is a solid spot-up shooter, consistently shooting in the 30-35% range from behind the arc. Foster will thrive on getting into the paint and looking for the likes of Maliq Brown, Cooper Flagg or Khaman Maluach, while also finishing through contact against bigger defenders on other teams.
