He waited until Friday's deadline, but Duke center Khaman Maluach has declared for the NBA Draft.
Maluach joins fellow Blue Devil freshmen Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel in this year's class. All three are expected to be lottery picks, with Flagg expected to be the No. 1 pick.
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Maluach, a 7-foot-2 rim protector, was born in South Sudan and grew up in Uganda. His draft status is complicated by his immigration status.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that his department would revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and prevent futher issuance to prevent entry into the U.S. by South Sudanese passport holders. Rubio made his announcement hours before Duke's loss in the Final Four.
Maluach had 6 points, 0 rebounds and four personal fouls in 21 minutes in the game against Houston. He averaged 8.6 points. 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game in his one season at Duke. In the NCAA Tournament, prior to the Houston game, Maluach averaged 11.5 points and 6.2 rebounds.
Maluach didn't start playing basketball until he was 13. In 2021, he joined the NBA Academy Africa. Three years later, he helped South Sudan qualify for the Paris Olympics.
"I’ve absolutely loved coaching Khaman. I’m gonna miss him," Duke coach Jon Scheyer said in a post on social media. "He’s not afraid of contact. Really, he should be in high school still. To play with that level of physicality and readiness is unique, and for Khaman to make that adjustment to college so quickly is incredibly impressive. His best years are by far in front of him."
The deadline to enter the draft was April 26. The NBA Draft Lottery is May 12. Early entrants can withdraw from the draft by June 15. The NBA Draft is scheduled for June 25th.