Duke head coach Jon Scheyer remains hopeful that forward Maliq Brown will make a return this season following a shoulder injury he sustained recently.
The 6-foot-9 junior was injured while playing only 10 minutes during the Blue Devils’ victory over Virginia on Monday.
He appeared to hurt his left arm while trying to intercept a pass, and afterward, his arm was observed in a sling.

In a press conference on Thursday, Scheyer indicated that medical scans did not reveal any surprising findings concerning what he characterized as a dislocated shoulder.
The Blue Devils, currently boasting a record of 23-3 and 15-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, are set to play against Illinois from the Big Ten on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York.

“We’re optimistic about getting him back this season,” Scheyer stated during an online meeting with the media.
He added that the “most challenging aspect” is ensuring Brown’s stability, noting that he is still experiencing considerable soreness.
“So we have to see how much time that takes,” he explained.

Scheyer confirmed that Brown will not participate “in the next week or so at minimum” and projected that he could be sidelined for several weeks, especially given that Duke has only five remaining games in the regular season.

Although Brown, who transferred from Syracuse, averages a modest 2.5 points and 4.1 rebounds, his impact goes beyond those statistics.
His versatility in switching and defending several positions off the bench has been vital for a Duke defense that ranks highly—fourth nationally—according to KenPom’s adjusted efficiency metrics, which allows only 90.9 points per 100 possessions.

It is worth noting that Brown had just returned from missing four games due to a prior knee injury, and Scheyer emphasized the importance of having Brown healthy again, stating, “We need him back, fully healthy.”