Breaking News: Duke Lands Commitment For Top Star Who Was Awarded MVP

Durham, North Carolina – On Wednesday, Duke men’s basketball coach Jon Scheyer announced the addition of Khaman Maluach to their 2024 recruiting class.
Maluach, a 7-foot-2, 250-pound center from Senegal’s NBA Academy Africa, is a five-star recruit who is listed as 247Sports’ third overall prospect and top center. He is the fifth potential Blue Devil ranked among the top 20 by 247Sports.

Maluach helped his nation South Sudan qualify for this summer’s Paris Olympics. He was awarded MVP of the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa camp last summer, playoff and defensive MVP at the BWB Global camp in February, and took part in the Nike Hoop Summit in April.
“I am really excited to welcome Khaman Maluach to Duke,” Scheyer told the crowd. “Khaman joins us from South Sudan and NBA Academy Africa, bringing an exceptional perspective and unique talents to our curriculum. Khaman, who stands 7’2”, can score both inside and outside, handle the ball, and protect the rim very well. When I watched him throughout the recruiting process, I noticed his outspoken leadership, energy and enthusiasm on the field, and devotion to winning over individual statistics. We are excited to collaborate with Khaman once he competes in the Olympics this summer alongside Luol Deng and the South Sudanese National Team.

 

 

Despite only playing basketball for the past five years, Maluach’s 7-foot-5 wingspan and 9-foot-8 standing reach, combined with Deng’s mentorship as a former Duke player, NBA All-Star, and South Sudan Basketball Federation president, have helped the 17-year-old make rapid progress since joining the NBA Academy Africa in 2021.

Maluach, who originally committed to Duke on March 6, joins fellow future Blue Devils and five-star recruits Cooper Flagg (6-9, F, Newport, Maine/Montverde Academy), Isaiah Evans (6-6, G/F, Huntersville, N.C./North Mecklenburg HS), Kon Knueppel (6-6, G/F, Milwaukee, Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran HS) and Patrick Ngongba II (6-11, C, Fairfax, Va./Paul VI Catholic), and four-star recruit Darren Harris (6-6, G/F, Fairfax, Va./Paul VI Catholic).