Will Maliq Brown play in the ACC tournament game? Exploring the Duke forward's injury status vs Louisville

Duke star Maliq Brown has been an essential player for the Blue Devils in their run to the ACC Tournament final as they look to secure automatic qualification to the NCAA Tournament.

The Blue Devils secured a spot in the final of the ACC Tournament after defeating the No.5 North Carolina Tar Heels 74–71 on Friday in the semifinal. The first half saw Duke claim a comfortable lead 45–24, but had a poor second-half performance, losing 47–29, almost costing it the win.

Jon Scheyer's team will face the No. 2 Louisville Cardinals in the final of the ACC Tournament on Saturday at 8:00 pm at the Spectrum Center.

Will Maliq brown play in the ACC Tournament game?

Maliq Brown will not feature in Duke's ACC Tournament final against Louisville after reinjuring his left shoulder in the Blue Devils' 78–70 win over the No. 8 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Thursday in the quarterfinal.

The forward just returned from a three-week injury after hurting his left shoulder and played an important role in Duke’s win over North Carolina last weekend. However, he had a setback to his dislocated shoulder in Thursday's quarterfinal game against Georgia Tech.

Brown tried to deflect the ball in the first half but immediately held his shoulder in agony. He was then rushed off the court by Duke's medical team and sent to a hospital for further treatment. The forward returned with his left arm in a sling, for his medical evaluation.

Maliq Brown injury update

After the game, coach Jon Scheyer said in his postmatch press conference it was too soon to know the long-term projection for the junior forward's injury.

“Obviously he's going to miss time, no matter what,” Scheyer said.

Brown has had an injury-stricken season, which has affected his performance. He had averaged a low 2.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 64.1 FG% per game.