The Duke basketball team will not have center Maliq Brown available for an extended period of time, according to head coach Jon Scheyer, and it’s a significant blow to the Blue Devils – specifically on the defensive end of the court.
However, Brown’s injury will create more playing time for prized 4-star freshman recruit Patrick Ngongba II to prove his abilities on the floor after recovering from a foot injury that he suffered at the beginning of his high school season.
Ngongba’s time on the court has been limited this season, playing in just seven games and averaging 8.3 minutes per contest but his impact during Brown’s absence could determine whether he is on the Blue Devil roster next year as harsh as it is to say.
College basketball is constantly changing with the transfer portal and NIL and if Ngongba struggles with Brown injured, who could return for another season next year, and Khaman Maluach likely off to the NBA, it could mean that the Virginia native is looking for a new home.
Nevertheless, a positive spin on things would be that the rookie has been developing slowly. He played five minutes, all in the first half, during Duke’s win over Notre Dame and scored two points in the process.
The Blue Devil schedule is favorable for a majority of the season, given how bad the ACC is, and lends right into the hands of Pat Ngongba to shine in the minutes given to him.
Both Miami and Boston College, Duke’s upcoming opponents, do not have strong frontcourts and it appears unlikely that Maluach will continue to play 32 minutes like he did against the Irish when his previous career-high in minutes was 26 against SMU.
Patrick Ngongba II will not immediately replace Maliq Brown as the team’s sixth man, but he will get a bump in playing time and have the chance to standout on a roster full of impact freshmen.
Tipoff between No. 3 Duke (14-2, 6-0 ACC) and Miami (4-12, 0-5 ACC) is set for 9:00 p.m. ET (ESPN) on Tuesday night inside Cameron Indoor Stadium.