DURHAM, N.C. — Duke University’s basketball coach, Jon Scheyer, announced that forward Maliq Brown will be sidelined for “an extended period” due to a knee sprain.

The transfer from Syracuse had a brief appearance during the first half of a recent match against Notre Dame, but his time on the court was cut short when he suffered an injury. The incident occurred when teammate Mason Gillis attempted a driving shot and inadvertently collided with Brown’s right knee as he fell to the floor.

Despite quickly getting up after grabbing his knee momentarily, Brown left the game just 20 seconds later.

“He’ll miss weeks,” Scheyer stated on Monday, adding that the absence could extend beyond that initial timeframe. “He’s going to be out for at least several games.”

Standing at 6-foot-9, the junior forward has been an essential player for Duke due to his ability to guard various positions effectively. His contributions are a significant factor in Duke’s impressive start to the season, as they entered the week with the second-best defense according to KenPom, allowing only 87.8 points per 100 possessions.

Duke, which was ranked fourth in the nation last week, is set to face Miami at home on Tuesday night.