Duke defensive stopper Brown out several weeks
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Jeff Borzello, ESPN Staff Writer
Duke forward Maliq Brown will miss several weeks with a sprained knee, coach Jon Scheyer said Monday morning.
Brown suffered the injury in Saturday’s win over Notre Dame.
“He’ll miss an extended period of time here,” Scheyer said on the weekly ACC Coaches Zoom. “He’ll miss weeks.”
Brown, a 6-foot-9 junior from Virginia, transferred from Syracuse to Duke last spring. He’s provided Scheyer with a valuable frontcourt depth piece, and he’s established himself as one of the best interior defenders in the ACC.
He played a key role in Duke’s win over Auburn in early December, helping slow down Johni Broome late in the game. Brown then followed up that performance with six points, 11 rebounds and three steals in a win over Louisville.
He’s averaging 2.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 17.9 minutes off the bench.
Without Brown, Duke will have to lean more heavily on veteran forward Mason Gillis, who transferred from Purdue last spring. Freshman big man Patrick Ngongba, who has seen action in just seven games this season, could also see an increased role. Ngongba was the No. 26-ranked recruit in the 2024 class, but has dealt with foot injuries dating back to his senior year of high school.
No. 4 Duke (14-2, 6-0 ACC) hosts Miami on Tuesday.
