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GREENSBORO — Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski says injured freshman Kyrie Irving is ready. For water polo.

Irving, meanwhile, says there's a "good chance" he'll be ready to play basketball again soon.

Irving was Duke's leading scorer when he injured his right big toe against Gonzaga eight games into the season. He hasn't played — or talked to the media — since.

But there he was Sunday after the Blue Devils beat North Carolina 75-58 in the ACC tournament championship game, answering questions at the Greensboro Coliseum.

Irving said there is a chance he can return during the NCAA tournament.

"I can't really put a percentage on it," Irving said. "It all depends on how I feel, and if the medical staff feels good about it."

Irving caused a stir Friday by working out at the coliseum 90 minutes before Duke's game against Maryland. He worked out again Sunday.

But he watched both games from the bench in street clothes.

Krzyzewski said he expects more street clothes this week at the NCAA tournament in Charlotte.

"That's the emotion of missing out on being in this championship coming out," Krzyzewski said of Irving's comments. "He's progressing very well, but we're far away from that decision. He has done well. He's worked out here."

But Irving has not worked out with his teammates.

"We're not trying to hide anything," Krzyzewski said. "We tried to show that, first of all, we do have a guy named Kyrie. And he's progressing well."

The Duke fans remember. They roared with approval as Irving cut down a piece of the net after the championship.

Irving hasn't played since a December game against Butler, when his right big toe bent back too far on an innocent-looking play. He hurt the sesamoid bones and the soft tissue connecting the bones.

"This is where I get all of my power from, and this is the way I move as fast as I can," Irving said. "When it did happen, when I looked at the X-rays, it was a lot more complicated than I thought it was."

Krzyzewski said Duke's training staff has "done a remarkable job" helping Irving rehabilitate the injury, including workouts in water to take weight and stress off the toe.

"It's helped him a lot," Krzyzewski deadpanned. "If we were a water polo team, he would have been playing today."

Contact Jeff Mills at 373-7024 or jeff.mills@news-record.com