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Movie Theater: Towering center Khaman Maluach seeks to dominate the glass and stretch the floor

Posted on by angelo
Movie Theater: Towering center Khaman Maluach seeks to dominate the glass and stretch the floor

As the Duke basketball team continues to prepare for the upcoming season, Blue-Zone is here to break down footage of the new additions to both the men’s and women’s teams. On the men’s side, we’ve already taken a look Kon Knueppel, Patrick Ngongba II And Isaiah EvansNext is Khaman Maluach:

At just 16 years old, big man Maluach was already playing basketball on the world’s biggest stage. As he looks to help his native South Sudan at the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris, Duke’s newest big man will likely gain experience and solidify his status as the fourth-best prospect in his class.

Maluach’s obvious advantage is his size. The South Sudanese native towers over his opponents at 7’4” with a 7’1” wingspan and a 9’1” standing reach. With that size, he’s nearly impossible to out-maneuver, and his presence around the rim is formidable. Indeed, Maluach’s role this year will likely be similar to what Dereck Lively II played in the 2022-23 season, blocking shots and specializing in rebounding. Watch him decisively return a shot to the receiver here:

Maluach is equally brilliant on offense, as his size gives him a huge advantage against opposing defenders. Watch here as the youngster drives to the cup from the perimeter to score:

Statistically, Maluach is more than capable of delivering. He averaged 21 points, 15.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocks, and also shot 40 percent from three-point range during the Basketball Africa League qualifiers with NBA Academy Africa. Maluach put up similar numbers this season for the City Oilers, a team that competes in the Uganda National Basketball League. Here, we can see how solid a finisher he is, going up for the lob and hitting it deep:

Head coach Jon Scheyer believes Maluach can bring a unique perspective to the team, and he praised the center’s ability to score both inside and out. Once he adjusts to the pace and strength of college ball, Maluach should become Duke’s starting center. Watch here as he dunks explosively and follows up with a calm three-pointer:

All the highlights presented here are a testament to Maluach’s talent, even though he only started playing basketball five years ago. He is currently under the tutelage of former Blue Devil Luol Deng, who helped Duke reach the 2004 Final Four in San Antonio. Only time will tell if Maluach will live up to his immense potential and perhaps take the Blue Devils to greater heights.