Duke gets huge Maliq Brown boost for Arizona Sweet 16 clash
03/27/2025 10:13 PM
Duke inflicted severe damage on its opponents through the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, and it was not even at full strength. The Blue Devils are now set to welcome back one of their best defenders for Thursday’s Sweet Sixteen battle with Arizona. Junior forward Maliq Brown, who has dealt with a shoulder injury for more than a month, on and off, is active versus the Wildcats, per the Duke Men’s Basketball X account.
Arizona owns one of the most high-powered offenses in the country and ferociously rebounds, so Brown could be crucial. The 2024 ACC All-Defensive Team selection dislocated his shoulder on Feb. 17 and proceeded to miss four games. He then dislocated it again in the conference tournament and has been sidelined for the last two weeks.
When Brown is on the floor, though, he makes his presence firmly known. The Virginia native has seen his minutes go down with the arrival of five-star freshman Khaman Maluach, but he is still an important member of Duke basketball. Brown is averaging 3.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 16.9 minutes per contest. It will be interesting to see how much head coach Jon Scheyer leans on the 6-foot-8 talent in Thursday’s matchup in Newark, New Jersey’s Prudential Center.
Maliq Brown recorded seven boards and three steals in the Blue Devils’ 69-55 victory versus the Wildcats in November. Caleb Love and Arizona are not the same team they were then, but beating Duke should remain a tall order. That could especially be true following this latest injury update.
Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel will be entrusted to carry a lion’s share of the offense, but it will take a complete effort to advance to the Elite Eight in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Brown will look to bring the physicality, as Duke’s national championship pursuit intensifies.
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