Duke basketball: Will Dereck Lively II play against Jacksonville?

The Duke basketball big man's status for the opener is a game-day decision.

Duke basketball center Dereck Lively II (Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports)

Except for brief highlights from summer intrasquad scrimmages, Duke basketball fans have yet to witness freshmen Dereck Lively II and Dariq Whitehead in action on a court while donning Blue Devil gear. Both missed the Blue-White game at Countdown to Craziness and the exhibition win over Fayetteville State on Wednesday night.

After the win over Fayetteville State, Duke basketball chief Jon Scheyer ruled out five-star small forward Dariq Whitehead for Monday's 7 p.m. ET regular-season opener at home against Jacksonville. Whitehead continues to recover from a fracture in his right foot, which he suffered during a team workout in late August.

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But Scheyer left the door open to the possibility of Lively, who has been dealing with a calf injury for a few weeks now, playing on Monday night. And during his media availability on Friday, the first-year head coach again updated the 7-footer's status.

"We have to see how he does this weekend first," Scheyer said. "We hope to progress him to five-on-five. He has not played five-on-five yet. But we'll make that call on Monday whether he's ready to go."

Even if Dereck Lively II is a go against Jacksonville, a heavy load of minutes is unlikely as he works his way into game shape.

"Don't expect [Lively or Whitehead] to play 40 minutes their first game," Scheyer quipped.

As Scheyer explained, the Blue Devils face obstacles related to the injuries to their top-ranked newcomers. Those challenges include mixing in the projected one-and-done lottery picks' unique skills under the reality that this reloaded Duke basketball team has missed vital time together as a complete unit in practice and preseason contests.

"Is it ideal that we haven't had our full team together once up until this point? It's not ideal," Scheyer noted. "I mean, obviously, it's a tough thing, especially with a new group and 11 new players. But that's how life goes sometimes. There's no excuse in that. I think we've found some things we wouldn't have found otherwise, and we have to continue to develop as a team. And obviously, those guys are working really hard to get back."

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