Mark Mitchell injury update: What happened to Duke basketball forward

Duke forward Mark Mitchell did not play on Saturday night as the Blue Devils suffered an 80-76 home loss against the Pittsburgh Panthers.

Mitchell has missed two straight games due to a knee injury and is considered day-to-day. According to coach Jon Scheyer, Mitchell will be a game-time decision for Tuesday night's showdown against Louisville.

On Saturday, Scheyer told the media that Mitchell was close to playing but didn't have enough time to get ready.

“They made progress, and they were close, but they didn’t have enough time to get ready for the game," Scheyer said via Yahoo. "They were close, but they just didn’t practice enough to get ready. They haven’t done 5-on-5 (work). You need to be able to do that in order to play the game.”

With Duke having two days since that game, the hope for the Blue Devils is Mark Mitchell will be able to return to the lineup after dealing with a knee sprain.

"Day to day means different things," Scheyer said. "That doesn’t mean back in a day. But it means that there’s nothing structural, and that’s the most important. So it’s not going to be long term."

If Mitchell doesn't play on Tuesday, the forward is getting closer to a return, which is good news for Duke.

Mark Mitchell's 2023 season

Mark Mitchell hasn't played since Jan. 9 against Pittsburgh when he suffered the knee injury.

Mitchell is in his sophomore season, and last year, he started all 35 games as a freshman and averaged 9.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists. It was a solid freshman season, and in his sophomore year, Mitchell has been even better.

Mark Mitchell is averaging 12.2 PPG, 5.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 14 games, which includes 13 starts while averaging 26.9 minutes per game.

If Mitchell can return on Tuesday night, it would be a big boost to Duke as the Blue Devils are 1-1 since he suffered the injury.

Duke is 13-4 and ranked 12th in the nation. The Blue Devils are 14-point favorites to defeat Louisville on the road on Tuesday night.