Duke’s march to greatness has never been smooth, but their latest hurdle hit hard: Maliq Brown’s injury. The moment left fans holding their breath and Jon Scheyer scrambling for answers, all while the pressure to perform mounts. With March just around the corner, the Blue Devils find themselves at a crossroads—will they rise to the occasion, or will this setback derail their championship dreams? The road ahead is uncertain, but one thing is clear: the true test for Duke has only just begun.

According to a post on X by Conor O’Neill, Jon Scheyer stated: “Maliq, his shoulder dislocated.” The injury occurred during Duke’s dominant 80-62 victory over Virginia. Brown, who grew up just an hour from Charlottesville, sustained the injury with 1:21 left in the first half. He immediately left the court and did not return.

Scheyer addressed the situation in his post-game comments. “Really, really proud of our team tonight, short turnaround. I think they’re a hard team to prep for,” he said. Acknowledging Virginia’s unique offensive style, Scheyer continued, “Short turnaround, the way they play offense is very different…. Obviously, I’m sure Maliq, look, he’s a big loss for us.”

Despite the uncertainty surrounding Brown’s timeline for return, Scheyer remained focused on finding solutions. “We’re gonna get him imaging, hopefully right now, tonight. Find out what the deal is, and then go from there. I don’t know more than that,” he stated. In Brown’s absence, Duke will need others to step up, much like Patrick Ngongba II, who filled in admirably after Brown’s exit. “For Pat to step up and be ready, just proud of him and what he’s done,” Scheyer added.

This isn’t the first time Brown has found himself in this position. Back on January 13, the Blue Devils were forced to adjust without their defensive stalwart when Brown suffered a sprained knee during a win over Notre Dame.

The injury kept him sidelined for several weeks, but Duke remained dominant through the stretch, continuing to rack up victories despite the absence of their key defensive piece who averages 1.5 steals for the 20 games he has played for the Blue Devils.

Now, as Brown faces yet another injury, Duke must lean on its depth and find ways to keep rolling. If history is any indicator, the Blue Devils are more than capable of thriving even when faced with adversity. And they proved that against Virginia.

Cooper Flagg’s dominance powers Duke, but March’s challenges loom

Freshman sensation Cooper Flagg was dominant, posting 17 points and 14 rebounds before halftime. His presence in the paint was a nightmare for Virginia, punctuated by a highlight-reel block on Taine Murray’s layup attempt that led to a Tyrese Proctor three-pointer on the other end. That sequence helped Duke establish a commanding 27-14 lead, a gap that Virginia never managed to close.

With Brown sidelined, Duke’s frontcourt rotation will be tested. His absence will put more pressure on Flagg, Ngongba, and veteran Mason Gillis to control the boards and protect the rim. The Blue Devils outrebounded Virginia 41-21 in this matchup, an area they must continue to dominate as they approach the postseason.

Despite sitting at No. 2 in the NCAA Men’s Basketball NET Rankings and No. 3 in the AP Poll for Week 16, Duke can’t afford to get comfortable. Their ACC dominance is all but locked in, but the real test is on the horizon. It’s been over a decade since they last cut down the nets, and Jon Scheyer has yet to take his squad beyond the Elite Eight. If they want to break that barrier, they’ll need consistency, health, and a little bit of luck when it matters most.

As March approaches, every game counts and the margin of error keeps growing smaller for Jon Scheyer and the Devils. Hence, it remains to be seen if Flagg and his companions can keep up their performance come March.