Duke Basketball Team Embraces 'Big-Time Evolution'

Jon Scheyer on Maliq Brown's Promising Return to the Court

There's no doubt fourth-year Blue Devil head coach Jon Scheyer hopes his group fully benefits from the addition of the former Syracuse Orange transfer and All-ACC Defensive Team selection to what is already a deep rotation, yet now a full-strength unit for the first time with Brown's return to the court.

"I think the thing to understand is that this is our fifth day together as a team," Scheyer pointed out following the come-from-behind, defensive-minded win over the Longhorns. "Maliq Brown, it's great to see him back out there. Obviously, he's still working through a lot."

Scheyer noted the overall impact of his return.

"Lineups, rotations, things we're doing, this is a big-time evolution," Scheyer said in breaking down the importance of getting minutes from Brown, both in practice and in games. "Where we're going, it's a long way away from where we are versus where we're going. But we're going there with some big-time competitors and some big-time players.”

The 21-year-old Maliq Brown is now in his second year with the Blue Devils after spending two seasons with the Orange. Across 26 appearances last season for a team that recorded 35 wins and reached the Final Four, The Culpeper, Va., native averaged 3.0 points, 1.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 1.3 steals in his 15.8 minutes per game.

He and the full-strength Blue Devils are now gearing up for their home opener, a Saturday matinee showdown versus the unranked Western Carolina Catamounts. Duke and Western Carolina tip off in Cameron Indoor Stadium at 1:30 p.m. ET (The CW).