Dad: Kyrie Irving won't play until 'he gets completely healthy'

Duke point guard Kyrie Irving, who has missed the Blue Devils' last nine games with a toe injury, won't return to action until he's "completely healthy," Irving's father told FoxSports.com.

"We're still in a holding pattern," Drederick Irving told FoxSports.com's Jeff Goodman. "Right now it's about Kyrie's recovery. We'd all like him to come back, but right now we don't know."

With Irving in the lineup, Duke was considered to be one of the favorites to win the national title. Since his injury, the Blue Devils have gone 8-1, but haven't looked like the juggernaut that they were with the point guard in the lineup.

Irving was averaging 17.4 points and 5.1 assists in Duke's first eight games of the season -- all wins.

Drederick Irving said that Kyrie will have his cast taken off on Feb. 4, but that he still could miss the remainder of the season.

"We're still in a holding pattern," Drederick Irving said. "Right now it's about Kyrie's recovery. We'd all like him to come back, but right now we don't know."

Goodman asked the elder Irving how Kyrie was dealing with recover process.

"He's always a positive guy," Irving said. "But he's still an 18-year-old kid, and it's taken its toll. But overall, his spirits are pretty good."

One thing is for sure: the Cameron Crazies' spirits will be sky high if Irving is able to return to the court this season. But even without their star freshman point guard, the Blue Devils still have the talent to make a run at back-to-back national championships.