Injuries are an inevitable part of any college basketball season, and this year’s Duke team is no exception.
Head coach Jon Scheyer announced that Maliq Brown will be sidelined for a “significant” amount of time after suffering a knee injury during the game against Notre Dame. Brown’s absence is a tough loss, particularly because of his unique defensive impact. However, Duke may be better equipped than most teams to handle such a setback, as Brown had settled into a key sixth-man role behind projected lottery pick Khaman Maluach.
On paper, the adjustment for the Blue Devils appears relatively straightforward. Maluach, who has averaged just over 20 minutes per game, could see his workload increase to around 30 minutes per game. Meanwhile, freshman center Patrick Ngongba II may be called upon to step up and cover the remaining minutes in the paint.
Though Ngongba has seen limited action this season, he has shown glimpses of his potential as a Top 25 recruit despite an injury-plagued high school career. Following Brown’s injury against Notre Dame, Ngongba logged 5 solid minutes, including a key basket, demonstrating he could rise to the challenge with more opportunities.
Having a borderline five-star freshman like Patrick Ngongba as a third big man is a luxury most teams don’t have, which offers reason to be optimistic about Duke’s ability to weather Maliq Brown’s absence. However, Ngongba can’t replicate what Brown brought to the table—namely, the ability to switch across all five positions and disrupt passing lanes. Additionally, there are legitimate concerns about Khaman Maluach’s ability to sustain 30 minutes per game, a workload he managed for the first time against Notre Dame. Duke will clearly need a new third option, just as Ngongba was when Brown was healthy.
What if that solution isn’t a one-for-one replacement, but instead a shift to a smaller, more versatile lineup? Cooper Flagg, with his height and length (if not bulk), could handle many modern centers. Mason Gillis, though not especially tall, proved his toughness during four years at Purdue guarding Big Ten power forwards—players often built more like traditional centers than their modern counterparts. Meanwhile, Sion James, as every Duke broadcast has likely reminded you, is built like a linebacker.
A lineup featuring Tyrese Proctor, Kon Kneuppel, James, Gillis, and Flagg might lack a traditional center but would bring impressive versatility. It could switch across all five positions, boast excellent length, and include multiple strong rebounders. While it might struggle against traditional big men like Armando Bacot (a rarity in this year’s ACC), such a group would create unique defensive challenges for most offenses while being equally disruptive on the offensive end.
This lineup draws clear comparisons to Golden State’s renowned “Death Lineup” from the late 2010s. The main question would be whether Gillis could effectively fill the Draymond Green role, though the demands for that position at the college level are significantly less daunting than in the NBA.
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