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International center Khaman Maluach, a potential top-three pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, has committed to Duke, he announced Wednesday.
Maluach was not ranked by mainstream scouting services as he plays for the NBA Academy Africa in Senegal, but the 7-foot-2 big man projects as a top-10 five-star talent in the 2024 recruiting class. One more proof of how much potential Maluach has? He was named MVP of the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders camp in Africa last summer, and then at the NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis in February, where Maluach spent time with his idol, the Milwaukee Bucks star , Giannis Antetokounmpo, was named playoff and defensive MVP. of the Global Basketball Without Borders camp.
Maluach chose Duke over finalists Kansas, Kentucky and UCLA, as well as offers from NBA G-League Ignite and Australia’s NBL Rising Stars program.
Maluach, 17, is Duke’s sixth commitment in 2024. He joins five-star forward Cooper Flagg (No. 1 overall player), five-star guard Isaiah Evans (No. 11), five-star wing Kon Knueppel (No. 16), four-star center Patrick Ngongba (No. 17) and four-star wing Darren Harris (No. 49).
With Maluach committed, Jon Scheyer officially concluded his second No. 1 recruiting class in three offseasons as coach of the Blue Devils. Duke had the highest-ranked class in 2022, and its current group of freshmen ranked second best in the 2023 cycle.
How important is this commitment to Duke?
It’s huge, and even that may be an understatement. Maluach was clearly the best “high school” player left on the board (we’ll see what happens in the transfer portal later this spring) and would have been a top-five recruit nationally had he played in the United States. Just because he isn’t a household name yet doesn’t mean he won’t be…because he will be. At 7-foot-2, Maluach is exactly the type of finishing, rim-protecting center that Scheyer has shown a penchant for early in his tenure; The last similar player Duke had, Dereck Lively II, became a lottery pick and is currently a starter for the Dallas Mavericks. Maluach’s advantages could be even greater. He is an immediate starter and will give Duke two projected top-five picks in the frontcourt next season.
Something else worth noting: Duke already has one NBA Academy player on its roster, second-year point guard Tyrese Proctor of Australia, but the program’s latest international commitment is further confirmation that Scheyer is expanding your recruiting reach. International prospects from Europe have been infiltrating college basketball for several seasons now, especially on the West Coast at schools like Gonzaga, UCLA and Arizona, but before Proctor, that wasn’t a common avenue the Blue Devils followed. But as the game of basketball gains popularity around the world, Scheyer has shown that he will go outside the United States to land game-changing prospects. Proctor was one, but Maluach is even on another level. — Brendan Marks, Duke Beat writer
What is Maluach’s game like?
Any Duke fans worried about the current team’s rim protection won’t have those fears next season. Maluach is a shot-blocking machine, similar to Lively. That length obviously also makes him a tremendous rebounder. But what’s intriguing is Maluach’s offense. Of course, he will provide tremendous rim pressure in pick-and-roll scenarios, but he also has legitimate shooting potential, even as a center; That should work well in Scheyer’s perimeter-oriented system, which often sees the five playing out of the post.
Maluach slots in as the immediate starter alongside Flagg, who can play three or four at the college level. That will give Duke one of the best and most athletic front lines in the country next season…and that’s not even mentioning potential returners, like current sophomore Mark Mitchell. Duke was always going to be full next season, but Maluach takes that to a new level. It’s possible that the Blue Devils, depending on who returns, could once again be among the top three preseason teams in Scheyer’s third season. — Brands
What’s next for Duke?
Discover how all the pieces fit together. Six commitments in the 2024 class is more than Scheyer initially intended, and it’s not inconceivable that one or more of those recruits will look elsewhere before enrolling this summer. (Five-star forward Mackenzie Mgbako, for example, was released last April and is currently a freshman at Indiana.)
Beyond that, Duke needs to figure out who’s coming back. Kyle Filipowski and Jared McCain appear to be the two players most likely to leave for this summer’s NBA Draft; both were projected first-round picks in The AthleticThe latest mock draft, but more could follow. Could Proctor, depending on how his season ends, choose to go as well? And then what about the other returners on the team? Senior Jeremy Roach, for example, still has a year of COVID eligibility that he could use if he so chooses, but he has yet to decide on his future plans. (Roach has become one of America’s best shooters, so Duke would apparently take him back.) And what about the other young talents on the show? All Caleb Foster, currently out with a lower-body injury, TJ Power and Sean Stewart would be highly sought after in the transfer portal if they opt to leave, but would also be valuable returners next season.
Scheyer has to get through this season first (the Blue Devils can earn a share of the ACC title by winning their regular-season finale against rival UNC on Saturday) before dealing with those future decisions. But he cannot bring six new returnees. and have everyone possible back from this season. There are not enough scholarships. Something has to give. — Brands
What does Maluach’s commitment to Duke mean for the 2025 NBA Draft?
Duke has a very real chance of ending up with the top two picks in the 2025 draft. Flagg is considered the favorite to be number one, as he is one of the best high school basketball players to enter college in the last decade. However, Maluach and Rutgers are committed. Ace Bailey is viewed among NBA scouts as the two players most likely to threaten that position at the top of the class. Maluach makes an incredible impact all over the court as a fantastic athlete with real length that is elite around the rim. On offense, he has a great soft touch, great mobility and excellent footwork.
Maluach’s ceiling is through the roof and scouts are very excited to see him as he begins his college journey. They got a taste of what he can do at Basketball Without Borders in February during the All-Star break. He was the talk of the NBA community after that event, as scouts who spoke with The Athletic He came out speaking in the same breathless terms normally reserved for future All-Stars.
The last time a school had two top-three picks in a single draft was 2019, and that was also Duke with Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett. However, the explosive comparison from the past that most scouts have given me is actually the 2014 Kansas team, which had Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid. Wiggins was viewed at the time as one of the best prospects since LeBron James, and Embiid was quickly viewed as the rapidly growing big man who was just scratching the surface of what he could be. Embiid probably would have been picked at No. 1 if not for questions about his potential for injuries in the future. Instead, he was third and Wiggins was No. 1. In my opinion, Flagg will most likely surpass Wiggins’ contributions in college and I expect his overall NBA career to be drastically better. This is not to compare those two. However, Maluach’s track record could very well match Embiid’s pre-draft if things go well for him next season. — Sam Vecenie, Senior NBA Draft Writer
Required reading
(Photo: William West/AFP via Getty Images)