Duke MBB Adds Former Syracuse Star
DURHAM, N.C. – Duke men’s basketball head coach Jon Scheyer officially announced on Thursday (April 25) that Maliq Brown will join the Blue Devils’ 2024 recruiting class.
Brown, a 6-8 222-pound forward from Culpeper, Virginia, transfers to Duke after playing the last two seasons at Syracuse.
This past season as a sophomore with the Orange, he averaged 9.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.2 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 69.8% from the field and boasting the nation’s third-highest effective field goal percentage (71.3%), according to KenPom.com.
Among ACC leaders, Brown topped the conference with 71 steals and ranked 11th in rebounding, 14th in blocked shots, and ninth in offensive rebounding (2.3 per game).
For his efforts, Brown earned the third-most votes and was selected to the 2023-24 ACC All-Defensive Team.
“We are thrilled to add Maliq Brown to our program,” said Scheyer. “Maliq is a skilled, tough, and versatile forward who brings a competitive mentality to every game and practice. He was one of the most efficient offensive players in the country last year at Syracuse and also one of the best defenders in the ACC while leading the league in steals. Maliq takes pride in doing all the little things that impact winning. A rising junior and All-ACC defender, Maliq brings a team-first mentality and winning instincts that will elevate our group.”
Brown appeared in all 32 games for Syracuse in 2023-24, averaging 29.6 minutes per contest and starting the final 18 outings. He recorded three straight double-doubles to end the season, including 11 points and 12 boards against NC State in the ACC Tournament.
On Feb. 7 versus Louisville, Brown amassed 11 points on 4-for-4 shooting from the field, nine rebounds, five assists, six blocks, and five steals to achieve the first 5×5 performance while shooting 100% by any player on the NCAA Division I level (men’s or women’s), NBA or WNBA in the last 25 years, according to OptaStats.
Prior to Syracuse, Brown was a four-time state champion at Blue Ridge High School in the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA). He was named the VISAA Division II Player of the Year as a senior, averaging 15.4 points and 11.1 rebounds per contest. Brown also played two years of football and two years of track at Blue Ridge.
Brown adds to Duke’s top-ranked recruiting class, joining fellow future Blue Devils and five-star prospects Cooper Flagg (6-9, F, Newport, Maine/Montverde Academy), Isaiah Evans (6-6, G/F, Huntersville, N.C./North Mecklenburg HS), Kon Knueppel (6-6, G/F, Milwaukee, Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran HS), Patrick Ngongba II (6-11, C, Fairfax, Va./Paul VI Catholic) and Khaman Maluach (7-2, C, South Sudan, Africa/NBA Academy Africa), and four-star recruit Darren Harris (6-6, G/F, Fairfax, Va./Paul VI Catholic).