There will be three key players for the Duke Blue Devils this term. Jon Scheyer, the Duke coach, is “optimistic” that versatile forward Maliq Brown will make a comeback this season after suffering a shoulder injury due to a nasty virus.
After just playing 10 minutes in Monday’s victory over Virginia for the third-ranked Blue Devils, the 6-foot-9 junior sustained an injury. He wore his left arm in a sling after seemingly hurting it while reaching into a passing channel to deflect a ball.
Despite what he characterized as a dislocated shoulder, Scheyer said Thursday that medical imaging had revealed nothing surprising. On Saturday night, the Blue Devils (23-3, 15-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) will play Illinois of the Big Ten in Madison Square Garden in New York, outside of conference play.
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During a video conference with media, Scheyer stated, “We’re hopeful that we can get him back this season.” The most difficult aspect, in my opinion, is that it mostly concerns his stability, and at the moment, he is still rather painful. Therefore, we must observe how long that takes.
Brown won’t play “in the next week or so at minimum,” according to Scheyer, who also predicted that he will be sidelined for a few weeks. Duke’s regular season is down to five games.
Brown, a Syracuse transfer, only manages to score 2.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. His worth extends beyond his stats, though, as his versatility and ability to defend a variety of spots off the bench have been crucial to a defense that allows 90.9 points per 100 possessions, which ranks fourth nationally in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency ratings.
Brown has just made his comeback after missing four games due to a knee ailment.
Scheyer stated, “We need him back, fully healthy.”
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