Maliq Brown, in his first Duke basketball campaign following two seasons at Syracuse, ranked No. 66 overall in the offseason portal, per 247Sports. But in 247Sports college hoops expert Travis Branham’s grading of 19 high-profile transfers across the country on Friday morning, the 6-foot-9, 222-pound forward from Culpepper, Va., was one of only a few who received an A or better.

ALSO READ: Former Duke Player Delivers Eye-Popping NBA Cup Performance

“No. 4 Duke had a strong core of players coming in, headlined by their superstar recruit, Cooper Flagg,” Branham wrote. “So, the task in the portal was to find complementary pieces. Jon Scheyer found a perfect piece in Maliq Brown.

“So far this season, Brown has come off the bench and made a massive impact on the game. He’s been a foundational piece in Duke’s game plan this season, and he will be invaluable for them as they gear up for ACC play.”

Speaking of ACC play, which continues for the Blue Devils (8-2, 1-0 ACC) when they travel to face Georgia Tech on Dec. 21, there’s no doubt that third-year Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer hopes Brown is back to 100 percent. He sat out of Tuesday night’s 72-46 home win over Incarnate Word due to a sprained toe, and there’s no timetable for his return.

Through nine appearances, the 21-year-old Maliq Brown is averaging 3.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.1 steals while shooting 63.2 percent of the field. And in each of his past two outings — victories over No. 2 Auburn and unranked Louisville — the reigning ACC All-Defensive Team selection has seen new season highs in playing time with 25 and 29 minutes, respectively.

Duke, enjoying its longest winning streak of the season at four games, next squares off against the visiting George Mason Patriots (7-3, 0-0 Atlantic 10) at 7 p.m. ET Tuesday (ACC Network).

ALSO READ: Ex-Duke Guard Jaden Schutt Heats Up for Reeling Virginia Tech

Stay tuned to Duke Blue Devils On SI for more Duke basketball news.