Maliq Brown injury update: Duke reveals official status vs. Arizona in Sweet 16

The Duke Blue Devils got some great news ahead of their matchup against the No. 4 seed Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16. Maliq Brown will be active for the game on Thursday night, according to the Duke basketball Twitter page.

Brown played four minutes in the first half, grabbing one steal and one rebound. Duke was ahead 48-42 at halftime, with Cooper Flagg pumping in 18 points. Kon Knueppel also poured in 10 points. They’ve been two of the Blue Devils’ biggest stars for much of the 2024-2025 season and March Madness is always when teams expect their superstars to burn the brightest.

Duke drilled 19 of 31 shots from the field, hitting 61% in the first half. From three-point range, they also hit 7 of 13 (54%), once again showcasing why they’ve been one of the best teams in the country for much of the year. Their dominant shooting.

And Thursday night has been no different in the first half. That being said, Arizona is not going down without a fight. The Wildcats have managed to hang in there, hitting 12 of 28 shots from the field, while drilling 7 of 14 shots from long range (50%). Duke outscored Arizona in the paint 22-6.

After halftime, the Blue Devils quickly started to create some separation, going up by 15 with under 16 minutes left in the second half. They extended their lead to 19 points with 13:11 left in the game.

The Wildcats were given yet another heroic performance from their superstar, Caleb Love, who left it all out on the floor on Thursday evening, in what will be his last college basketball game. He finished with 35 points, four rebounds, one assist, one steal. Arizona managed to battle back, but still fell short, losing 100-93.

Cooper Flagg delivered a spectacular performance exactly when his team needed it on Thursday night, propelling Duke to the Elite Eight, where they’ll face No. 2 seed Alabama. He had 30 points, six rebounds, seven assists, and a steal. In doing so, the star freshman became the first Duke player to record 30 points, five rebounds, and five assists in an NCAA Tournament game. He looked like the player many penciled him in to be for the past few years. And quite frankly, he’s lived up to those expectations and then some.

Ngongba has steadily improved over the course of the year, playing 12 minutes on Thursday. He finished with 8 points, two rebounds, and one assist, before fouling out in the second half. The Blue Devils had to bring Khaman Maluach back off the bench. Maluach finished with 13 points, four blocks, and six rebounds. He’s one of the more coveted defensive prospects in this NBA Draft cycle and it’s easy to see his upside with his ability to catch lobs at the rim.

Duke will face Alabama on Saturday night in the Elite Eight for a chance to punch their tickets to the Final Four.