17-Year-Old Duke Freshman Makes Summer Olympics Roster
The South Sudan basketball team firmly played its way onto NBA fans' radars when they gave Team USA a run for its money leading up to the Olympics. The massive underdogs nearly upset an American squad full of NBA royalty.
One of the standouts on this South Sudan squad has officially made the roster for the Olympics, and it's a name familiar to Duke Blue Devils fans. Khaman Maluach will suit up in Olympic basketball action before making his debut at Duke this fall.
MAN MAN @khaman_maluach https://t.co/0xpCFSXmGt
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) July 24, 2024
Maluach was a less-heralded name in the Duke recruiting class this year — being overshadowed by the likes of Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel Isaiah Evans. But he's not flying under the radar any more.
Just 17 years old, he racked up 7 points, 3 boards and 1 block in just 12 minutes of action against Team USA. Those obviously aren't massive numbers, but if you're not impressed by that output from a 17 year old matched up with Anthony Davis then your expectations are just unrealistic.
Khaman Maluach hits the corner 3 over Anthony Davis for South Sudan pic.twitter.com/gZZPyqN8Sx
— Sideline Recaps (@SidelineRecaps) July 20, 2024
Maluach is already rising up draft boards ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft, with the freshman expected to be one-and-done at Duke. So Blue Devils fans should enjoy him while they can, because a 7-foot-2 youngster with range and shot-blocking ability is always going to be a heck of a lot of fun to watch.
First live look at 17-year-old, 7'2" Sudanese big man Khaman Maluach at Duke (via @DukeMBB). pic.twitter.com/V85i1gLdOE
— League Him (@League_Him) June 19, 2024
Congratulations to Maluach on earning the opportunity to represent his country this summer. Most Duke fans will of course be cheering for the U.S. in its pursuit of a gold medal, but a good showing by Maluach and South Sudan is something we can get behind too.
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