Elite Duke Basketball Defender Now Sidelined for Weeks, Maybe Longer

Duke basketball junior Maliq Brown, in his first year with the Blue Devils (14-2, 6-0 ACC) after playing two seasons at Syracuse, injured his right knee during the first half of the team's 86-78 home win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday afternoon. He did not return to the court, logging less than a minute in the contest.

And on Monday morning, third-year Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer revealed to the media that the 21-year-old, the Blue Devils' most talented threat in the steals department at 3.3 per 40 minutes, won't be back in the lineup any time soon.

"He sprained his knee," Scheyer explained, "and he will miss an extended period of time here. He will miss weeks. It could be longer. But obviously, he is going to be out for the next several games, minimum."

Following the battle against Notre Dame, Scheyer summarized what the Blue Devils miss when Maliq Brown is out of commission.

"He's proven to be one of our toughest guys, easily," he said. "Maliq just provides such a different versatility with his defense."

I asked Cooper Flagg whether the questionable calls influenced his play and about the impact of being without Maliq Brown.

On the court. Off the court. 4.0 GPA. Mature, humble answers to every question anyone ever asks. The way this teen just wins at life doesn't even seem real. pic.twitter.com/SxLkLllzAu
— Matt Giles (@MattGilesBD) January 11, 2025

Brown previously sat out one game this season due to a toe injury. That absence coincided with Duke's blowout win over Incarnate Word on Dec. 10, the fourth notch in the Blue Devils' active 10-game winning streak.

Next up for Duke basketball, No. 2 in the NCAA NET Rankings, is a home game against the Miami Hurricanes (4-12, 0-5 ACC) at 9 p.m. ET Tuesday (ESPN).

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