Irving to return for Duke on Friday

CHARLOTTE - Freshman guard Kyrie Irving will return to Duke's lineup Friday in the Blue Devils' NCAA tournament opener against Hampton.

Irving, who has been out since injuring his right big toe on Dec. 4, will come off the bench and play limited minutes, said Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski.

"I don't have a set number of minutes," Krzyzewski said.

Irving was averaging 17.4 points and 5.1 assists per game when he was injured. When he bent his toe back during a win over Butler, he damaged the tissue between the sesamoid bones leading up to his big toe.

He had to wait for those bones to heal before playing again.

"It's a big step for me and my family to make one of the biggest decisions in my life to go out there and be integrated with the guys in practice and now return to the game," Irving said.

Ken Tysiac