Duke's Amile Jefferson granted waiver to return next season

The NCAA has granted Duke forward Amile Jefferson a medical hardship waiver, giving the senior a fifth year of eligibility, the Blue Devils announced Friday.

Jefferson missed all but nine games this season after sustaining a broken foot in December. Prior to his injury, Mike Krzyzewski relied on the steady forward to provide a veteran presence for an otherwise young team, and Jefferson did just that for his coach.

In his fourth season in Durham, Jefferson turned in averages of 11.4 points and 10.3 rebounds. For his career, the four-year player has averaged 6.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per contest.

Jefferson should be a key part of Duke's leadership core again in 2016-17.