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The Duke basketball team added another major prospect to its 2024 recruiting class, which already ranked No. 1 in the nation. The newest five-star talent comes in the form of Africa’s top-rated player.
Khaman Maluach announced his commitment to the Blue Devils on Wednesday, providing Jon Scheyer with yet another weapon.
This just in 🦄😈 #TheBrotherhood 😎 pic.twitter.com/ZtrGgwLjfX
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) March 6, 2024
For those counting along at home, that gives the team four five-star recruits ready to suit up next season. ESPN has three of those prospects being drafted over the first 11 picks in the 2025 NBA Draft, including first overall selection Cooper Flagg.
No. 3 in that mock draft is Maluach, a 7-1 center from the NBA Academy Africa in Senegal. He’s the top big man in the ’24 cycle.
More on his background from ESPN:
Maluach helped his native country of South Sudan qualify for the Paris Olympics this summer as a 16-year-old, becoming one of the youngest players in FIBA World Cup history.
He was MVP of the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa camp last summer, and then was named playoff and defensive MVP at the BWB Global camp in Indianapolis during All-Star Weekend last month.
Khaman Maluach picked Duke over other college basketball powers Kentucky, Kansas, and UCLA, as well as G-League and Australian NBL invites.
“Duke is home; that’s where I belong.” Maluach said about the commitment. “This was the hardest decision I’ve ever made. I felt like I could succeed anywhere, but I was most comfortable going to Duke.”
As far who he models his game after, he picked a few NBA greats.
“I use length to block shots, go get rebounds and dunk the ball whenever I can… I watch a lot of Giannis [Antetokounmpo], Joel Embiid. Victor. Chet [Holmgren]. Anthony Davis. I watch everybody. I try to see what players are good at and learn from them.”
What’s this mean for next year’s Duke basketball squad?
The Blue Devils should be an immediate national title frontrunner, and one of the most talented teams in the ACC. The Blue Devils last cut down the nets in 2015, but this could certainly be Jon Scheyer’s best opportunity since taking over for Coach K – who won five championships in Durham.
They’ll also be well represented in that ’25 NBA Draft, with not only these phenomenal freshmen looking to make an impact, but a few seasoned veterans, too.
I think we can say it… Duke is back, baby!