Why Duke's Maliq Brown 'confident' at Final Four, despite not being 100% healthy

Steve Wiseman, The News & Observer on Apr 4, 2025

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SAN ANTONIO — Maliq Brown’s emergency return to Duke’s playing rotation last weekend in Newark, N.J., went off without the feared hitch, and he’s on track to possibly play more in the Final Four.

The 6-9 junior forward missed Duke’s first two NCAA Tournament games in Raleigh after dislocating his shoulder during the ACC Tournament on March 13 in Charlotte.

Wearing a brace to protect his still-healing shoulder, Brown suited up and played a total of seven minutes during two Blue Devils East Regional wins: 100-93 over Arizona and 85-65 over Alabama.

Thursday, after the Blue Devils practiced at the Alamodome ahead of Saturday’s national semifinal against Houston, Brown said the shoulder didn’t deteriorate with that playing time.

“I still feel it a little bit,” Brown said. “But with some more rehab and stuff, I feel better. So that’s definitely a plus.”

A defensive specialist known for deflecting passes to cause turnovers and grabbing tough rebounds, Brown dislocated his left shoulder twice over a five-week period, the first time on Feb. 17 at Virginia before doing it again against Georgia Tech in an ACC Tournament quarterfinal.

He missed four games after the first injury and four games the next time. If Duke wouldn’t have been in the Sweet 16, four wins from a national championship, Brown wouldn’t have been in uniform against Arizona. But when freshmen centers Pat Ngongba and Khaman Maluach got into first-half foul trouble, Duke coach Jon Scheyer had to put Brown in the game.

It worked. Duke won both games and Brown did not re-injure the shoulder.

“Just enjoying the moment, not trying to look much more into my injury or whatever was going on with me,” Brown said. “Just trying to have the same as much as I could, and just not let whatever I was going going on with me, affected team.”

Now Duke is at the Final Four with three other No. 1 seeds in Houston, Auburn and Florida. Both games, if Duke can stay alive to Monday’s NCAA Tournament final, will be battles against great teams.

The brace Brown wore on his shoulder last weekend could be absent for the game with Houston. Or be may opt to use it as a precaution. He said he’s not sure if he’ll need surgery when the season is over.

But he does know he’s ready to go in the two biggest games Duke would play this season.

“I feel like I’m pretty confident, every game that I play,” Brown said. “Coach Scheyer and the coaching staff are more comfortable with me playing. A lot of workouts going on this week. So I feel confident.”