Khaman Maluach, a 7-foot center from the NBA Africa Academy, has committed to play at Duke next season, the five-star prospect told Jonathan Givony of ESPN on Wednesday.
Maluach, who was born in South Sudan, chose the Blue Devils over Kansas, Kentucky, UCLA, the G League Ignite and the National Basketball League in Australia. He joins a talented recruiting class for coach Jon Scheyer, including Cooper Flagg, Isaiah Evans and Patrick Ngongba.
The 17-year-old started playing basketball roughly five years ago in Uganda. He joined the NBA Africa Academy in Senegal and has made a rapid rise up the rankings to become the third-ranked prospect in the class of 2024, according to 247Sports.
BREAKING: NBA Academy Africa's Khaman Maluach, a projected top-five pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, has committed to Duke, he told ESPN.
STORY: https://t.co/cLz7xvEMpK pic.twitter.com/WBA1BWCVQk
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) March 6, 2024
Maluach became the third-youngest player to play in the FIBA Basketball World Cup last year when he represented South Sudan. He totaled eight points, 15 rebounds and three blocks in four games to help South Sudan claim a berth in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.
He was named an All-Star and Defensive MVP last month at the Basketball Without Borders Global Camp at NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, Indiana. He measured in with a 7-foot, 4 1/2-inch wingspan and a 9-foot, 8-inch standing reach.
Maluach is considered a potential top-five pick in the 2025 NBA draft as an international prospect born in 2006. He is highly touted for his size and versatility as a player who can shoot and defend, with his length and mobility.
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