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Kyrie Irving played just 11 games for the Duke Blue Devils. Much like his clutch capabilities in the ongoing playoffs, the Dallas Mavericks point guard immediately shot to collegiate fame with his fine skills on the hard court. However, his lone season with the program during the 2010-11 campaign was cut short due to a ligament injury in his right big toe.
Irving suffered the injury in his eighth game of the season while playing against the Butler Bulldogs. This setback occurred less than a month into the season, forcing him to miss 26 crucial games. Moreover, it also trimmed Kyrie Irving's college career and separated him from the NCAA Freshman of the Year title that seemed within his grasp.
Kyrie Irving's performance with Duke
Playing under coach Mike Krzyzewski, Irving was known for making crucial sacrifices for the squad. Despite his ability to score efficiently at 53.2% from the field, Kyrie would attempt less than 9 shots on some nights. In other stints, he would put his scoring mindset on display, while maintaining a torching efficiency.
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Kyrie Irving scored 17.5 points per game and 5.4 assists with a 46.2% clip from the arc for the Blue Devils. His most notable game came right before his injury, where he garnered a season-high 31 points, six rebounds and four assists against Draymond Green's Michigan State.
After a three-month absence from the court due to his injury, Irving made a strong return coming off the bench to score 14 points (game-high) in a blowout win against the Hampton Pirates. Furthermore, he scored 11 points against the 8th-seeded Michigan Wolverines, taking Duke to the regional semifinals with a close 73-71 win.
However, the next game marked Kyrie's only loss at the collegiate level. Facing the Arizona Wildcats, Irving posted his second-best game with 28 points (63% from the field). Nevertheless, Duke let a crucial lead slip away in the second half, ending their season with a 93-77 loss.
Initially, Irving displayed a stance to don the Duke jersey for another season. However, he then chose to part ways with his remaining 3-seasons of college eligibility and declared for the 2011 NBA draft where he was selected as the first overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Kyrie Irving is 1 of 7 Duke graduates to win an NBA title
The Blue Devils are known to provide the NBA with top-caliber players. Jayson Tatum, Grant Hill, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, JJ Redick, and Carlos Boozer are some of the names that graduated from the Durham institution.
However, only 7 of its pass-outs have lifted the prestigious Larry O'Brien trophy:
Despite being part of the 7-man group, Kyrie Irving's impact on the championship distinguishes him. He has averaged 21.9 points, 5.8 assists and 4.4 rebounds in 10 games in the ongoing season's playoffs.
