Will Virginia go after Culpeper’s Maliq Brown a second time?

Posted on Monday, Apr. 1, 2024, 6:05 pm

Follow Jerry Ratcliffe on Twitter

Advertising inquiries: Connect with us

Email Jerry Ratcliffe: jratcliffe7000@gmail.com

 

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Photo: Syracuse University Athletics

It would make perfect sense if Virginia goes after Maliq Brown in the transfer portal.

Brown, a 6-foot-8, 220-pound sophomore, announced that he has entered the portal after two years playing for Syracuse. UVA showed some interest in Brown when he played for Cade Lemcke at nearby Blue Ridge School, when the Culpeper native was ranked as a 3-star recruit by the major services.

But Brown has grown as a player for the Orange and appears to be the kind of player who could help the Cavaliers.

Some Syracuse observers believed that Brown, who shot nearly 70 percent from the field last season (69.8), was the most valuable or most important player on the Orange roster. He averaged 9.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game and played a little more than 29 minutes per outing this past season.

In one game against Duke, in Durham, he put up 26 points on an 11-of-16 shooting performance, adding 7 rebounds in 32 minutes.

Both UVA and Virginia Tech recruited Brown out of Blue Ridge, but both programs decided to go in a different direction.

Certainly Brown could add some physicality and punch to the Cavaliers’ lineup.

Keep your eyes on this one …