Jon Scheyer says Duke basketball could have Maliq Brown available for Sweet 16
It felt like the season was over for Duke basketball center Maliq Brown.
He dislocated his shoulder for the second time in less than a month and the pain was too much to tolerate so he had to be taken to a local Charlotte hospital for further evaluation.
That was the low point, and things have only gotten better since.
Brown was on the Duke bench the next day during the ACC Tournament semifinals in a sling. He appeared again for the ACC Tournament Championship without the sling and continued to appear that way in the NCAA Tournament.
However, he ditched his street clothes for the open portion of the team’s practice on Wednesday at the Prudential Center and warmed up with the team in a brace.
“It's day-to-day with Maliq, and there's a chance he could be available tomorrow night,” Jon Scheyer said during his media availability on Wednesday.
Brown has played in just one full game since suffering his initial shoulder dislocation against Virginia on February 17 – 16 minutes in the regular season finale against North Carolina in which he had eight points, three rebounds, and three assists with two made 3-pointers.
He was limited to just six minutes against Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals before aggravating the injury.
Duke has seen the emergence of freshman Patrick Ngongba II since Brown’s injury, averaging 8.6 points per contest in the postseason on 15-of-20 shooting from the floor in 15.2 minutes per game.
It has been a great compliment for the Blue Devils behind starting center Khaman Maluach but now Scheyer could have options at the center position for the remainder of the postseason.
Granted, if Brown plays, he will likely be on a heavy minutes restriction given the vulnerability of his shoulder but the idea that he could be on the court when the Blue Devils play Arizona is great for his potential playing status if Duke continues to advance in the NCAA Tournament.
Tipoff between Duke and Arizona will come approximately 30 minutes after the completion of the Alabama and BYU matchup at 9:39 p.m. ET (CBS).
