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DURHAM — Kyrie Irving caused a stir at the Greensboro Coliseum six days ago simply by working out alone 90 minutes before Duke played its first game in the ACC tournament.

Now the star freshman is working out with teammates.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said Irving practiced "a little bit" with the team Tuesday and hinted the injured point guard might play when the Blue Devils open the NCAA tournament against Hampton in Charlotte on Friday afternoon.

"There is a chance that he would play," Krzyzyewski said, quickly adding limits.

Irving would not start, and his playing time off the bench would be strictly controlled.

"You don't want to get to where he gets hurt through something else because you extend him," Krzyzewski said. "It's not like a guy at the beginning of the season when you try to push him past the limit because you're trying to set new limits. Here, you want to make sure he doesn't go past the limits."

Irving hasn't worn a Duke uniform since he hurt his right big toe in the first week of December.

On an innocent-looking move against Butler, Irving's toe bent back too far, injuring the sesamoid bones and the soft tissue connecting the bones. Duke was 8-0 at the time, with Irving averaging a team-high 17.4 points per game.

The Blue Devils are 30-4 now, with senior Nolan Smith earning ACC player of the year honors by filling the point guard role for 26 games after Irving's injury.

Would team chemistry be an issue if Irving returns?

"All the guys, if he's able to play, would welcome him back," Krzyzewski said. "He's been the best guy ever on a sideline with his teammates. It'd be different if he wasn't that way. I think that would be a smooth transition, and if we're fortunate enough to win, and he's able to play, then you get more accustomed to it."

Senior forward Kyle Singler said Irving looked like his old self in practice.

"I don't think he's missed a beat," Singler said. "He's done a great job rehabbing. He is a little bit out of shape, but that's expected. He just fits in. I've said this since day one: He's just a smart basketball player and fun to play with. Whatever he's able to do &ellipses; he's going to help our team."

Without Irving, guards Seth Curry and Andre Dawkins played expanded roles over the last three months -- roles that could change if the freshman can play.

"It's up to coach. I'm not worried about his role," Curry said. "He's a unique player, and he brings something different to our team nobody else can bring. When he's healthy, I'm sure he's going to have a big role. He's going to be a big help to our team."

This is a Duke team that was already the No. 1 seed in the West regional without Irving, a Duke team fresh off its third straight ACC tournament title.

A Duke team Krzyzewski said got better this week in Greensboro.

"We're a good team right now," Krzyzewski said. "&ellipses; We're fresh. Our guys are enthusiastic. We're in a good place."

So, apparently, is Kyrie Irving.

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