Could injured Duke forward Maliq Brown return for NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 vs. Arizona?

Steve Wiseman, The News & Observer on Mar 26, 2025

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Duke forward Maliq Brown returned to practice Wednesday and is progressing toward a return to game action after a shoulder injury caused him to miss the past four games, including the Blue Devils’ first two NCAA Tournament games.

“It’s day-to-day with Maliq,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said Wednesday, “and there’s a chance he could be available tomorrow night.”

Duke, the nation’s No. 1-ranked team and the top seed in the East Regional, plays fourth-seeded Arizona on Thursday night at 9:39 p.m at Prudential Center.

In advance of that game, Brown took the court with his teammates Wednesday afternoon, with the first 15 minutes open for the media to watch. During that time, Brown took shots with his right hand, wearing a brace that limits some range of motion in his left shoulder, which has been dislocated twice in the past five weeks.

Brown has not played since the first half of Duke’s 78-70 ACC Tournament quarterfinal win over Georgia Tech on March 13. That’s when he dislocated his left shoulder for the second time in four weeks.

After the injury in the Georgia Tech game, Brown was taken to nearby Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte for treatment to get the shoulder back in place.

Brown previously injured the shoulder on Feb. 17 when it popped out of socket when he reached to tip the ball while playing defense during Duke’s 80-62 win at Virginia. He missed four games before returning to score 11 points in Duke’s 82-69 win at North Carolina on March 8.

A 6-9 junior forward, Brown has played in 23 of Duke’s 36 games this season. He’s averaged 2.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. But his biggest strength has been on the defensive end, where his ability to deflect passes and cause turnovers has made Duke among the nation’s top defensive teams.