Duke basketball finally announces last player in top ranked recruiting class
The Duke basketball recruiting class is officially official.
What is the consensus top class in the country became whole on Wednesday morning when the Blue Devils received the paperwork from 5-star center Khaman Maluach.
Maluach, who committed to Duke in early March, is a product of the NBA Academy Africa and immediately became a Top-10 player in the class after announcing he would join the 2024 crop of prospects.
"I am really excited to welcome Khaman Maluach to Duke," head coach Jon Scheyer said in a statement.
"Joining us from South Sudan and NBA Academy Africa, Khaman brings an incredible perspective and unique talents to our program. At [7-foot-2], Khaman can score inside and out, handle the ball, and protect the rim at a high level."
Maluach recently competed for Team World at the 2024 Nike Hoop Summit where he started yet played only 14 minutes, scoring two points on 1-of-6 shooting. He finished with just three rebounds and a block.
However, during the event he was measured with a 9-foot-6 standing reach and a 7-foot-8 wingspan. He is still very new to the game of basketball but his potential makes NBA general managers salivate as Maluach is projected as a Top-3 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
"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," Scheyer added.
He will join the top ranked prospect in the country, Cooper Flagg, along with Isaiah Evans, Kon Knueppel, Patrick Ngongba II, and Darren Harris in Durham next season.
Khaman Maluach was named as the Most Valuable Player of the NBA's Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa camp last summer and selected as the playoff and defensive MVP at the Basketball Without Borders Global camp in February.
He has also competed on the international stage with South Sudan men's national team.