Duke head coach Jon Scheyer has cemented the nation’s top ranked recruiting class for the second time in three seasons after signing the final member of the class of 2024 this week.
Five star big man Khaman Maluach, rated as the No.3 overall prospect in the class of 2024 and the No.1 center, has signed with Duke. The program made the announcement on Wednesday morning.
With Maluach now officially on board, the six man class will now begin preparing for the upcoming season in which the Blue Devils will welcome back only two players from last season’s rotation. The five star big man is expected to be a big part of the upcoming season as evidenced by the scouting report provided by 247’s national analyst, Travis Branham last month.
“Maluach will bring great size, athleticism, length and skill to Duke’s frontcourt getting a big man who can move his feet, brings energy, switches on defense, protects the rim and scores, inside and out, on offense,” said Branham. “He is a tremendous pairing alongside Duke’s star signee Cooper Flagg where the two will become an immensely impactful duo on both ends of the court.”
Maluach aided his native country of South Sudan in qualifying for this summer’s Paris Olympics. He was named MVP of the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa camp last summer, selected playoff and defensive MVP at the BWB Global camp in February, and participated in the Nike Hoop Summit in April.
“I am really excited to welcome Khaman Maluach to Duke,” said Scheyer. “Joining us from South Sudan and NBA Academy Africa, Khaman brings an incredible perspective and unique talents to our program. At 7’2″, Khaman can score inside and out, handle the ball, and protect the rim at a high level. 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. We are anxious to get to work with Khaman after he competes in the Olympics this summer with Luol Deng and the South Sudanese National Team.”
Although only playing basketball for the past five years, Maluach’s 7-foot-5 wingspan and 9-foot-8 standing reach, along with the mentorship of Deng, a former Duke player, NBA All-Star and South Sudan Basketball Federation president, has helped the 17-year-old make rapid improvement since joining the NBA Academy Africa in 2021.
Maluach, who originally committed to Duke on March 6, joins fellow future Blue Devils and five-star recruits Cooper Flagg (6-9, F, Newport, Maine/Montverde Academy), Isaiah Evans (6-6, G/F, Huntersville, N.C./North Mecklenburg HS), Kon Knueppel (6-6, G/F, Milwaukee, Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran HS) and Patrick Ngongba II (6-11, C, Fairfax, Va./Paul VI Catholic), and four-star recruit Darren Harris (6-6, G/F, Fairfax, Va./Paul VI Catholic).