Amile Jefferson Ruled Eligible for 2016-17 Season: Latest Comments and Reaction

Duke senior forward Amile Jefferson had his medical hardship waiver approved by the Atlantic Coast Conference on Friday. The decision gives him an extra season of eligibility for the 2016-17 season.

The Blue Devils confirmed the news on their official athletics site. Jefferson made just nine appearances for the team last season before suffering a season-ending foot injury.

It was an untimely setback for the Philadelphia native, who was finally getting a chance to play an expansive role for Duke early last season. He responded by averaging 11.4 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks before fracturing his foot.

In February, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski explained to Ryan Hoerger of the Duke Chronicle that the ailment didn't fully heal as quickly as everybody hoped.

"Here's the thing—it's healing great, but then we try limited basketball stuff at a slower speed and there's pain," Krzyzewski said. "If he tried to play at full speed with that, then a knee is going to go or something else. He's frustrated like crazy and we're frustrated for him. He's trying, but it's not coming around."

Ultimately, they decided to shut him down for the remaining portion of the campaign, which made him eligible for the medical hardship waiver since he played in less than 30 percent of the games.

Jefferson was part of the Blue Devils' championship team in 2015 in a reserve role. The highly touted recruit—No. 30 overall in the 2012 class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings—hadn't averaged more than 23 minutes per game over his first three years, though.

That number jumped to more than 30 minutes per contest during the first month last season, and he started to showcase his potential as a result.

So the ACC's decision is certainly a boost for the Blue Devils. They could never fully replace his production in the frontcourt last season and were also forced to use a small rotation due to limited depth.

Going back to Duke for another season is the best bet for Jefferson, too. There would have been a lot of questions about his health if he tried to go pro coming off the injury. Now he can take a less strenuous rehab path with an eye toward being back to full strength by November.