Things have changed since the transfer portal began, but over the years, Duke has traditionally not brought in a lot of transfers. Naturally, some have done better than others. Roshown McLeod had a nice career at Duke, as did Dahntay Jones, Seth Curry, Ryan Young, and Sion James.
If you turn the frame a bit though, and ask which transfers became the most beloved by Duke fans, the answers change. There was Theo John, who the Crazies really took to, Sion James, who had a terrific year at Duke, and of
course, Ryan Young, who spent two years mostly defying his physical limitations, which earned him immense respect.
But it would be hard to argue that any transfer has been more beloved than Maliq Brown.
If he were still alive and covering games, you get the feeling that Brown is a player that Bill Russell would have loved. Brown is not nearly as talented as Russell was physically, but like Russell, the genius of his game is mental, and the focus is defense.
He anticipates as well as anyone we can remember. Being in the right place at the right time, consistently, is not an accident. It’s an understanding of the game that is sublime.
Like Russell, Brown can influence the flow of the game without having his hands on the ball, at least until he takes it away from someone.
Most Duke fans who saw Billy King play would agree that he was the best defender Duke had ever seen. Brown is the first guy who challenges that. He’s that good.
Our only regret is that Duke didn’t identify him in high school. After he transferred in from Syracuse, he said that Duke had always been his dream school, so watching him showing off his Duke diploma is even sweeter.
We don’t know what his future in the game will be. He’s not generally listed as a draft candidate, so he’d have to play his way into the league as a free agent if no one picks him.
Don’t bet against him, though. First, he’d be following in the footsteps of fellow Blue Devils Lance Thomas, Seth Curry, and Quinn Cook, players who willed their way into the league through sheer grit.
And second, if he ends up playing overseas, or decides not to play professionally at all, Brown has an outstanding mind and grasp of the game. We could see him sliding into coaching, scouting, or a front-office role somewhere. Somebody will want that brainpower on their side, and they’ll be very happy they got him.
On a side note, it was nice to see his teammates show up to support him. Caleb Foster has a nice cameo here.
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