Duke’s Maliq Brown could suit up against Arizona in Sweet 16
Junior forward Maliq Brown has a chance to play in the Duke Blue Devils’ Sweet 16 matchup with the Arizona Wildcats on Thursday, according to head coach Jon Scheyer.
“There’s a chance he could be available [Thursday],” Scheyer said on Wednesday, according to ESPN.
Ultimately, Brown will be a game-time decision, but that’s absolutely better than being ruled out for the Sweet 16.
Brown hasn’t played since the first half of Duke’s ACC Tournament game against Georgia Tech on March 13 due to a shoulder injury. Though on the surface, it may not seem that getting a player back who averaged 2.6 points per game is a huge deal, but Brown has been an important bench player for the Blue Devils in 2024-25.
He’s averaged 3.9 rebounds (including 1.6 offensive rebounds) per game, 1.3 steals and 0.4 blocks per game. He’s 6-foot-9, and can defend at a high level, so he’d be a huge addition to a Duke team going up against an Arizona squad that has averaged 90 points per game in its two March Madness wins (against No. 13 Akron and No. 5 Oregon).
Brown transferred to Duke after two seasons Syracuse. He’s a former three-star recruit from Culpeper, Virginia, ranked as the No. 54 power forward in the 2022 class, according to the 247Sports Composite.
