As Duke basketball continues to prepare for the upcoming season, the Blue-Zone is here to break down film from the new additions to both the men’s and women’s teams. On the men’s side, we’ve already looked at Kon Knueppel, Patrick Ngongba II and Isaiah Evans. Next up is Khaman Maluach:
At the age of only 16, towering center Maluach was already playing basketball on the world’s biggest stage. As he looks to help his home country of South Sudan in the upcoming Paris Summer Olympics, Duke’s incoming big man is sure to gain some experience and cement his rank as the fourth-best prospect in his class.
The obvious advantage Maluach has is his size. The South Sudan native towers over opponents at a staggering height of 7-foot-2, along with a wingspan of 7-foot-5 and a 9-foot-8 standing reach. With such a strong frame, it is almost impossible to get past him on the courts, and his presence around the rim is formidable. Indeed, Maluach’s role this year will probably be similar to that of Dereck Lively II during the 2022-23 season, blocking shots and specializing in rebounds. Watch here as he decisively returns a shot to sender:
Maluach is equally brilliant on the offensive side of things as his height gives him a tremendous advantage against opposition defenders. Take a look here as the youngster drives to the cup from the perimeter to drop in the shot:
In terms of statistics, Maluach is more than capable of delivering. He averaged 21 points, 15.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocks, also shooting 40% from deep in the Basketball Africa League qualifiers with NBA Academy Africa. Maluach put up similar figures this season for City Oilers, a team competing in the Uganda National Basketball League. Here it can be seen how solid he is as a finisher, going up for the lob and slamming it home:
Head coach Jon Scheyer believes Maluach can provide a unique perspective to the team, and he praised the center’s ability to score both inside and out. Once he adjusts to the pace and strength of US college ball, Maluach is expected to become Duke’s starting center. Watch here as he explosively dunks the ball and follows it up by calmly nailing a 3-pointer:
All of the highlights showcased here are a testament to the all-around player that Maluach is, despite the fact that he only started playing basketball five years ago. He is currently under the mentorship of former Blue Devil Luol Deng, who helped Duke en route to the 2004 Final Four in San Antonio. Only time will tell whether Maluach can live up to his immense potential and perhaps take the Blue Devils to greater heights.
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