There was a time when it looked like Caleb Foster’s days in Durham were done. Once hailed as a rising star in the Blue Devil backcourt, Foster’s sophomore slump knocked him off the radar — and nearly out of the rotation. But instead of running to the transfer portal like so many others, he stayed. Now, heading into his junior year with the full trust of Jon Scheyer and the keys to the offense in his hands, Foster isn’t just back… he’s out to silence the doubters and lead Duke’s youngest squad in years toward March glory.
Caleb Foster is hoping for a major bounce-back season after a disappointing sophomore campaign.
However, after a few solid performances in the NCAA Tournament, Foster elected to come back to Durham for his junior year. Duke head coach Jon Scheyer spoke about how the ups and downs that Foster dealt with as a sophomore could translate into the guard finally having his breakout season that fans have been waiting for.
“Here we are with Caleb [Foster], going into year three,” Scheyer told The Devils Den. “And, I think in a lot of respects, you actually can have a deeper relationship and a better season having gone through that. Now, it’s not fun going through it, I’m not suggesting that’s what we should do or what Caleb would want to have happen…There’s choices, not just in the transfer portal, there’s choices after you commit in high school. And that’s something, every step of the way, Caleb has been completely committed, and I think it’s going to transfer over to having a great season and great success for our team as well.”
It looked like Foster’s career in a Blue Devil uniform was over after he lost out on being a consistent part of the rotation, as the veteran likely would’ve had lots of interest in the transfer portal had he taken that route. But, as we sit here now, Foster is back and will be one of the most critical pieces of this Duke roster next season.
Next season’s squad is extremely young, and Foster will likely be the only upperclassman in the starting lineup. After dealing with the mental toll that comes with being sent to the bench after receiving praise throughout the offseason, Foster looks to be ready to prove doubters wrong as a junior.
With the keys to the offense, Foster can showcase his ability to run the show and create opportunities for others. He’s a very solid perimeter defender and showed his outside shooting potential as a freshman, but taking a step forward on the offensive side of the ball will be a big factor in deciding Duke’s ceiling in 2025-26.
This is a true make-or-break season for Foster, and he’ll have all the tools he’ll need to succeed as Scheyer’s lead guard.
