Duke University’s head coach Jon Scheyer is feeling hopeful about the potential return of forward Maliq Brown this season despite his shoulder injury.

The 6-foot-9 junior sustained the injury while playing a mere 10 minutes during the Blue Devils’ victory against Virginia on Monday. He appeared to hurt his left arm while attempting to intercept a pass, and he was seen with his arm in a sling afterwards.

On Thursday, Scheyer reported that medical scans revealed no significant issues concerning what he classified as a dislocated shoulder. The Blue Devils, boasting an impressive record of 23 wins and 3 losses (15-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference), are set to face the University of Illinois from the Big Ten this Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York.

“We are optimistic about his chances of returning this season,” Scheyer remarked during a virtual briefing with reporters. “The biggest concern is related to his level of stability, and he’s still experiencing quite a bit of soreness. We need to assess how long his recovery will take.”

Scheyer indicated that Brown is not expected to play for at least the coming week, with a rough estimate suggesting he might be sidelined for several weeks. The Blue Devils have only five remaining games in the regular season.

Brown, who transferred from Syracuse, is averaging 2.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. Yet, his contributions extend beyond statistics; his defensive versatility off the bench has been crucial to the team’s performance. Their defense currently ranks fourth in the nation according to KenPom’s adjusted efficiency metrics, allowing just 90.9 points per 100 possessions.

Notably, Brown had recently returned from a four-game hiatus due to a knee injury prior to this shoulder setback.

“It’s essential that we have him back at full strength,” Scheyer emphasized.