Why Duke basketball’s latest recruit for next season is the biggest Jon Scheyer has landed
Duke’s basketball recruiting class for next season, already chock full of five-star talent, now includes an even bigger player.
Khaman Maluach, a 7-2 center from Africa, committed to the Blue Devils on Wednesday, according to ESPN.
While NCAA rules prohibit Duke from commenting specifically on Maluach, the program’s official account on X, the formerly known as Twitter, sent out a video saying a new commitment had been received while not mentioning any specific player.
Considered one of the top NBA prospects for the 2025 draft class, Maluach visited Duke for the Jan. 21 home game with Pittsburgh. He also made official visits Kentucky, Kansas and UCLA. He also considered professional offers from G League Ignite and Australia’s NBL organization.
“Duke is home, that’s where I belong.” Maluach said, according to ESPN. “This was the hardest decision I’ve ever made. I felt like I could succeed anywhere, but I was most comfortable going to Duke. All the schools that were recruiting me are big-time programs, but in terms of my development and the relationships I built with the coaches, they were the best.”
Maluach’s commitment only adds to what was already the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class for the 2024 cycle. Duke has already signed the No. 1 player in the class, 6-9 forward Cooper Flagg, as well as fellow five-star recruits in 6-6 small forward Isaiah Evans from North Mecklenburg High School and 6-5 small forward Kon Knueppel from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Duke’s class also includes two players from Paul VI Catholic High School in Fairfax, Virginia in 6-11 center Patrick Ngongba and 6-6 small forward Darren Harris. They are both four-star recruits.
Maluach, who turns 18 in September, played for his native South Sudan in FIBA competition. He helped the team qualify for this summer’s Paris Olympics.
Maluach has trained at the NBA Academy Africa since 2021. He only took up basketball five years ago.
He’s set to attend the Nike Hoops Summit event in Portland, Oregon, next month where he’ll play against Flagg, Harris and Ngongba in a World vs. U.S format.
“That’s going to be something exciting,” Maluach told ESPN. “I expect it to be great competition going up against future teammates. We’ll get to build our bond stronger after that. This is a big platform to showcase our talent.”
This story was originally published March 6, 2024 at 2:49 PM with the headline "Why Duke basketball’s latest recruit for next season is the biggest Jon Scheyer has landed."