Duke defensive stopper Brown out several weeks

Duke forward Maliq Brown will miss several weeks with a sprained knee, Blue Devils coach Jon Scheyer said Monday morning.

Brown suffered the injury in Saturday's win over Notre Dame.

"He'll miss an extended period of time here," Scheyer said on the ACC coaches' weekly Zoom. "He'll miss weeks."

Brown, a 6-foot-9 junior from Virginia, transferred from Syracuse to Duke last spring. He has provided Scheyer with a valuable frontcourt depth option and has established himself as one of the best interior defenders in the ACC.

He played a key role in the Blue Devils' win over Auburn in early December, helping slow down Johni Broome late in the game. Brown then followed up that performance with 6 points, 11 rebounds and 3 steals in a win over Louisville.

He's averaging 2.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 17.9 minutes off the bench.

Without Brown, Duke will have to lean more heavily on veteran forward Mason Gillis, who transferred from Purdue last spring. Freshman big man Patrick Ngongba, who has seen action in just seven games this season, could also see an increased role. Ngongba was the No. 26-ranked recruit in the 2024 class, but he has dealt with foot injuries dating back to his senior year of high school.

No. 4 Duke (14-2, 6-0 ACC) hosts Miami (4-12, 0-5) on Tuesday.