The Duke Blue Devils were picked by many people to win the 2025 men’s NCAA championship, but they instead fell in stunning fashion in the Final Four round to the Houston Cougars.
Cooper Flagg, their do-it-all freshman forward, averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals a game while shooting 48.1% from the field and 38.5% from 3-point range this past season. Just days ago, he declared for the NBA draft.
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Now, another Duke player is headed for the draft: Khaman Maluach, a freshman center originally from South Sudan who seems to have plenty of untapped potential.
Maluach stands 7-foot-2 and weighs 250 pounds. He averaged 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 21.3 minutes a game this past season, and while his overall game is raw, he’s only 18 years of age, so he’s clearly a work in progress.
He’s a killer shot-blocker and rim protector and finishes strong around the rim. While his offensive game is limited, he has soft hands and a nice touch near the rim.
Defensively, he has shown some ability to switch onto the perimeter and effectively guard smaller players, according to a scouting report by Kevin O’Connor.
Khaman Maluach of the Blue Devils retrieves the ball against Illinois.© Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
While Maluach failed to come up with a single rebound in that Final Four loss to Houston, he played well in previous rounds of the tournament. He tallied 14 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in 31 minutes versus Alabama in the Elite Eight round.
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Prior to coming to Duke, he had a stint in Basketball Africa League, the top men’s basketball league in Africa.
Related: Former Four-Star Recruit Sends Parting Message to Final Four Team
