What Duke basketball’s Jon Scheyer said about recruit Khaman Maluach joining Blue Devils
Duke basketball coach Jon Scheyer announced the signing of Khaman Maluach on Wednesday morning.
Maluach, a five-star center, and top-ranked recruit Cooper Flagg headline Scheyer’s stacked 2024 class. Isaiah Evans, Darren Harris, Kon Knueppel and Patrick Ngongba II complete a six-player group that is expected to make Duke one of the favorites to win the 2025 national championship.
"I am really excited to welcome Khaman Maluach to Duke. Joining us from South Sudan and NBA Academy Africa, Khaman brings an incredible perspective and unique talents to our program,” Scheyer said in a school-issued statement.
“At 7'2, Khaman can score inside and out, handle the ball, and protect the rim at a high level. His vocal leadership, the energy and enthusiasm that he plays with, and his commitment to winning above individual statistics stood out to me when watching him throughout the recruiting process.
"We are anxious to get to work with Khaman after he competes in the Olympics this summer with (former Duke player) Luol Deng and the South Sudanese National Team."
A 7-foot-2 center from the NBA Academy Africa in Senegal, Maluach is projected to be one of the top picks in the 2025 NBA Draft. He was named MVP of the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders Africa camp in 2023 and will play for South Sudan in this summer’s Paris Olympics.
Maluach, 17, was also named defensive MVP at the BWB Global camp in February during the NBA’s All-Star weekend in Indianapolis. During that event, Maluach was charted with a 7-foot-5 wingspan and 9-foot-8 standing reach.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: What Duke basketball's Jon Scheyer said about Khaman Maluach
