By Joedy McCreary
Associated Press
DURHAM — A lingering injury will prevent one of Duke’s promising freshmen from taking part in the Blue Devils’ exhibition games halfway around the globe.
Guard Quinn Cook is being shut down until at least mid-September to allow his knee injury to continue healing, coach Mike Krzyzewski said Tuesday.
While Krzyzewski “definitely” expects Cook to be back by the time preseason practice starts in October, the coach said he noticed during workouts before the team’s upcoming trip to China and Dubai that Cook didn’t have enough strength in the knee. Cook played his senior year in high school with injured ligaments in his right knee.
Team officials say Cook will make the trip overseas, but won’t play. Krzyzewski says his goal is for Cook to resume individual workouts in September.
“His body mechanics have got to be better — otherwise, you really risk more injury,” Krzyzewski said.
Cook, one of three McDonald’s All-Americans in Duke’s freshman class, certainly could have used the playing time during the four-game, two-week excursion to figure out how to play in a crowded backcourt that includes returning contributors Seth Curry and Andre Dawkins and heralded freshman Austin Rivers.
“Quinn’s a good player,” Krzyzewski said. “It was just going in the wrong direction for future injury if we didn’t just shut him down for a little while.”
The Blue Devils leave Sunday and will play three games in China and one in Dubai as part of the team-building tour that came about because Krzyzewski had a rare summer with few responsibilities to the U.S. national team, which had already qualified for the 2012 Olympics by winning the world championships last year in Turkey.
Krzyzewski also declined to comment specifically on recent questions about the timing of a telephone conversation with a recruit “because it’s still not resolved.”
According to published reports, forward Alex Poythress said he was offered a scholarship while he was in Orlando, Fla., to play in tournaments with his AAU team.
When asked if he was surprised how much attention those reports received, Krzyzewski said: “Really, nothing surprises me in my life. I lead a great life. I’m thankful that you all watch it closely. And I’m good. Obviously, we would always want to do things the right way. We’ll continue to always want to do it that way.”
The Associated Press
08/09/11 16:48