In the absence of the defensive center, Mason Gillis has significantly improved the Blue Devils.
Maliq Brown, a crucial defensive component, has missed the last four games for Duke basketball (18-2, 10-0 ACC), yet the team has still won all four and held opponents to 59.3 points per game. Duke’s depth on both sides of the ball has been one of their greatest advantages this season.
Jon Scheyer doesn’t put any bad defenders on the floor, and seven of the players in the rotation score at least 5.6 points per game on average.
Mason Gillis, a Purdue transfer, is one veteran who has truly stepped up in Brown’s place. In the previous four games without Brown, Gillis has improved his stats to 7.3 points and 4.5 rebounds on 56% shooting from the field, while only averaging 4.9 points and 2.6 rebounds on 45% shooting for the season. Gillis, a 6′ 6″ and 225-pound three-and-D seasoned prospect, was brought in
In addition to being one of the country’s top three-point shooters, he is a capable defender who can defend both inside and out. In terms of percentage, Gillis was the seventh-best three-point shooter in the nation while playing for Purdue in 2024.
Although he was a little inconsistent on the offensive end of the ball and his minutes were erratic for most of the season until Brown’s injury, his mold fit Scheyer’s vision for his team this year flawlessly. During Duke’s first seven games of the season, Gillis averaged 15.3 minutes per game, but he had trouble from three-point range, only making 6 of 23 (26%) of his attempts.
His minutes decreased to 12.2 per night for the Blue Devils’ following nine games, as he continued to struggle to make three-pointers consistently.
Gillis was essentially nonexistent on the offensive end of the ball and shot 12-of-41 (29.2%) from three-point range overall through Duke’s first 16 games of the season.
However, Gillis has earned every lengthy minute he has received during the last four games that Brown has been sidelined. Over the past four games, he has averaged 19.8 minutes per game. He has played more than 20 minutes in two of those games after not playing for 20 minutes since Duke’s victory over Maine on the first night of the season on November 5. Gillis has made 7 of 13 (53.8%) shots from beyond the arc throughout this time.
After surpassing double figures twice in the Blue Devils’ first 16 games, he has scored in double figures in two of those games. He hasn’t made an effort to be a star, but he has continued to play strong defense and has been a reliable offensive threat for Scheyer’s club, which they needed.
In order to help the Blue Devils extend the floor even farther, Duke supporters hope Gillis has rediscovered his rhythm from beyond the arc, as he has in the previous games.
For Duke supporters, it’s UNC Hate Week as the Blue Devils prepare for the first meeting of the rivalry on February 2nd (6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), when Duke visits North Carolina (13-9, 6-4 ACC).
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