Duke’s third-ranked basketball team defeated Virginia 80-62 on Monday, but the victory came at a cost as the Blue Devils lost key reserve forward Maliq Brown.
Brown dislocated his left shoulder with 1:21 remaining in the first half, and he did not return to the game. Duke head coach Jon Scheyer confirmed that Brown would undergo imaging later that evening to assess the injury.
“He’s a big loss for us,” Scheyer said. “We’ll find out more and take it from there, but I don’t know anything beyond that.”
The 6-foot-9 junior, who transferred from Syracuse, ranks second on the team with 30 steals and third with nine blocked shots this season.
“Maliq’s been a great teammate,” said Kon Knueppel. “He’s very unselfish, a great passer, and extremely impactful for us.”
The game was especially meaningful for Brown, as it was a homecoming for the forward, who hails from Culpeper, just an hour away.
In his limited playing time, Brown had two points, two assists, and one rebound in 10 minutes before the injury occurred. The injury happened when he reached to deflect a pass and appeared to hurt his left arm.
About an hour after the game, Maliq Brown came out of the locker room to meet with his family and Duke fans. Despite having his arm in a sling, he took pictures with some supporters before making his way to the team bus.
With Maliq Brown out of the game, Duke relied on Patrick Ngongba II, who contributed eight points and a rebound in 11 minutes of play.
Head coach Jon Scheyer praised Ngongba for his progress over the season and expressed confidence in his ability to step up if Brown is unavailable for the Blue Devils’ next game against Illinois on Saturday at Madison Square Garden.
Scheyer highlighted that Ngongba had already played important minutes in Duke’s win over Wake Forest in January.
The coach explained that players who don’t get regular playing time compete in “stay ready” games, which help keep them sharp and prepared in case they need to step in.
“I’ve seen a lot of growth from him throughout the season,” Scheyer said. “He’s been put in some big moments already.”