The 2024-25 Duke Blue Devils wrapped up their season with an impressive 35–4 record, capturing the ACC regular-season title (19–1) and the ACC Tournament championship, before making a Final Four exit. This strong performance solidified Jon Scheyer’s reputation as an emerging coaching talent.
Freshman center Khaman Maluach had a standout year, and on Saturday night, he officially declared for the 2025 NBA Draft.
Early Sunday, Duke’s X account posted a video of Scheyer reflecting on Maluach’s significant impact.
“I’ve absolutely loved coaching Khaman. I’m gonna miss him,” Scheyer shared. “He’s not afraid of contact. Really, he should still be in high school. To play with that level of physicality and readiness is rare, and for Khaman to make such a seamless transition to college is incredibly impressive. His best years are still ahead of him.”
At 7-foot-2 and 250 pounds, Maluach hails from South Sudan and trained at the NBA Academy Africa in Senegal. Before joining Duke, he played professionally for Cobra Sport in South Sudan during the 2022 BAL season, AS Douanes in Senegal in 2023, and the City Oilers in Uganda in 2024.
In March 2024, Maluach committed to play for Duke.
As an 18-year-old freshman, he averaged 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game, shooting 71.2 percent from the field over 39 games. He earned a spot on the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Top 20 Watch List and was named to the 2025 ACC All-Freshman Team.
With the NBA draft lottery approaching on May 12, it’s clear that Duke’s future under Scheyer is bright, and Maluach’s professional journey is just beginning.
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