Khaman Maluach

Khaman Madit Maluach (born 14 September 2006) is a South Sudanese college basketball player for the Duke Blue Devils of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Standing at 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m), he plays the center position. He is also a current member of the South Sudan national team, whom he joined at the age of 16.

Born in Rumbek, South Sudan, Maluach grew up in Kawempe, in neighbouring Uganda, as a refugee with his siblings and mother. He attended Bethel Covenant College in Bwejjaba.^[1]

In 2019 Maluach was encouraged to play basketball by a boda boda motorcyclist who had stopped down when he saw the tall Maluach walking along the road. He attended a local camp organised by Luol Deng and started playing basketball.^[2] He later joined the NBA Academy Africa in Saly, Senegal, where basketball is combined with education.

Maluach played for South Sudanese professional team Cobra Sport in the 2022 BAL season, as part of the BAL Elevate program. Through this programme, one NBA Academy Africa player was assigned to each Basketball Africa League (BAL) team on an amateur contract.^[3] He made his BAL debut on April 9 against defending champions Zamalek, scoring two points and recording two rebounds in seven minutes.^[4]

In March 2023, Maluach played in his second BAL season after he was drafted first of the academy prospects^[1] by the AS Douanes, the defending Senegalese champions. The Douanes reached the final, in which Maluach started and contributed 2 points and 4 rebounds, as they lost to Al Ahly.^[5]

He attended the 2023 Basketball Without Borders in Johannesburg, South Africa, and was named the camp's MVP.^[6][7]

On 4 March 2024, it was announced that Maluach was drafted by the Ugandan club City Oilers for the 2024 BAL season.^[8] On 19 April, Maluach had 16 points and 8 rebounds in his Oilers debut in a 76–99 loss to Al Ahly.^[9] One day later, on 20 April, Maluach set new career-highs with 29 points and 11 rebounds in a 88–101 loss against Bangui.^[10] On 24 April, Maluach had 16 points, 19 rebounds and 7 blocks in a 68–79 loss to Al-Ahly Ly.^[11] His 19 rebounds set a new career-high, and his 7 blocks set a new league record for most blocks by any player in a BAL game.^[12] Despite the Oilers being eliminated, Maluach averaged 17.5 points, a league-leading 13.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game over his six performances.^[13]

On 6 March 2024, Maluach announced his commitment to Duke. Ranked as the third-best prospect in the 2025 NBA draft by ESPN at the time, he chose Duke over UCLA, Kentucky, and Kansas.^[14] He stated that this was due to his the impression Zion Williamson had had on him when he was younger.^[15]

In August 2023, Maluach was selected for the South Sudan national team roster for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. At age 16, he was the youngest player on the Bright Stars' roster.^[16] On 28 August, he made his debut in a victory against China, becoming the third-youngest player to appear in a World Cup game.^[17] Maluach and South Sudan were the best-ranked African team in the tournament, and thus qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, another milestone in the national team’s history.

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