Duke Blue Devils senior forward Joey Baker has undergone successful hip surgery. He also plans to use his extra year of eligibility to return to play for the Duke Blue Devils next season. College players were granted an extra year of college eligibility due to COVID-19 and how it impacted the 2020-21 college basketball season. The former top recruit will play in Head Coach Jon Scheyer’s first season as the lead man in Durham. Duke has a loaded 2022 recruiting class coming in, but experienced upperclassmen are always helpful.
NEWS: Joey Baker underwent hip surgery on Wednesday and intends on playing for us next season (using extra year granted by NCAA due to COVID pandemic).
Best wishes on a successful recovery @Joey_bvker! Excited to have you back! pic.twitter.com/nlbNfYbRVC
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) April 15, 2022
As a senior with the Duke Blue Devils in limited minutes, Joey Baker averaged 4.5 points and 1.2 rebounds per game. He paired those numbers with a field goal percentage of 43.2 percent and a three-point percentage of 40.5 percent. Overall his career at Duke has been plagued with spotty minutes and inconsistent play. That being said young and talented teams like Duke need the experience to help balance out the roster.
Duke’s Joey Baker underwent surgery to repair a hip injury, per release. Baker will rehab and return to Duke for the 22-23 season, which is his additional year of eligibility.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 15, 2022
The Duke Blue Devils will be favorites to compete at the top of the ACC next year and plenty of attention will be on the program with a new Head Coach. Joey Baker will be recovered from his hip surgery and ready to help the program establish a new era. We here at Def Pen Sports wish him the best in his recovery.
