Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer prides his team on elite defensive versatility and length, and the 2025-26 Blue Devils should be no different. The program will be led by one of the most versatile defensive forwards in the nation, Maliq Brown, who CBS Sports has deemed one of the top defenders college basketball has to offer. The Blue Devils were arguably the most unstoppable team in all of college hoops last season (before the Final Four). Duke ranked No. 1 in offensive rating and No. 5 in defensive rating per KenPom, the only squad ranked in the top five of both categories. This season, Duke will look to repeat that domination.
CBS Sports ranks Maliq Brown as top defender in country ahead of 2025-26 season
CBS Sports college basketball insider Isaac Trotter ranked the best defenders in college hoops, varying by several categories. In his "versatile forwards" section, he put Brown at No. 1.
"Brown is a lean, mean, deflections machine," Trotter said. "He isn't some special shot-blocker, but Brown moves his feet so well for a big man and can guard literally anyone. Duke coach Jon Scheyer trusts him on an island against the best guards in America, and Brown has a sky-high basketball IQ. The 6-9 forward will be Duke's best all-around defender in 2025-26."
The former Syracuse transfer's stats will never jump out at you, but Brown has a legitimate chance to be the best defender in college basketball in 2025-26. The 6'9, 222-pound rising senior has maybe the most active hands in the entire sport and can guard the one through five. He was named to the 2023-24 All-ACC Defensive Team, and likely would've repeated that honor had he not missed significant time with injury last season.
Brown has averaged 1.5 steals a night throughout his college career, but it isn't his stats that make him as dominant as he is. He fits the mold of a Jon Scheyer defense perfectly with his ability to guard any position on the floor from any spot on the floor. The biggest concern around Brown is his health. Brown only played in 26 games last season after dislocating his shoulder twice. Back in the summer, Scheyer said that Brown was "weeks ahead of schedule," so the hope is that he will be good to go for the start of the regular season.
Duke's depth at the center position is good enough, but we have yet to see how dominant Patrick Ngongba II can be, as he's also dealt with injuries throughout his tenure at Duke. The Blue Devils brought in Rice transfer Iffy Ifochukwu, who will also see time. Brown isn't a true five man, but there's a good chance he'll see some time at the center position throughout the season, especially if injuries remain a problem for Ngongba.