"It was crazy": Duke's 17-year-old sensation Khaman Maluach on facing NBA legends in thrilling South Sudan vs. Team USA

Duke 2024 signee Khaman Maluach was the talk of the town after his impressive performance for South Sudan during the pre-Olympic exhibition game against the USA on Saturday. The 17-year-old center took NBA bigs like Anthony Edwards and Joel Embiid head-on, helping his team lead 58-44 at halftime. The USA eventually won the game 101-100, thanks to LeBron James' brilliance.

In the 12 minutes that he played, the 7-foot-2 Maluach scored seven points, three rebounds and one block. He shot 3 of 6 from the floor. Speaking to the media after the game, Khaman Maluach spoke of the significance of playing against NBA superstars.

“It was so crazy in the beginning,” Maluach said. “Especially seeing bigs I’ve been watching since I started playing basketball like Joel Embiid, A.D. (Anthony Davis), Bam (Adebayo), matching up with them was just something like I couldn’t imagine…like, ‘Oh, I’m playing against these guys.'”

This will not be the only time the two teams tipoff, as they are set to play each other in group play at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Rumbek, South Sudan, native is one of the top prospects for the upcoming college season. He will join Cooper Flagg, Isaiah Evans and Kon Knueppel and help the Blue Devils aim for a championship next year.

Khaman Maluach's rapid rise to basketball fame

Unlike most recruits in his class, Khaman Maluach's foray into basketball came late. At 14, he was spotted by scouts because of his size and was immediately enrolled in the NBA Academy Africa in Senegal. He was the youngest ever player to join the academy.

Two years later, Maluach was selected to represent his country at the FIBA World Cup, and now, at 17, he is all set to play in the Olympics. The No. 4-ranked recruit credited his coaches for his quick succession up the ladder.

"I think I progressed so quickly because of my consistency," he said (via 247 Sports). "Hard work too. My coaches back in Uganda, coach Wal and coach Akec and my coaches at the Academy. Coach Aboya Alfred helped me grow a lot in my game.

"Coach Kharim helped me a lot with the shooting part and next-play mentality. And the strength and conditioning coaches."

Khaman Maluach played in the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders Africa camp in 2023 and was named MVP. He was also named defensive MVP at the BWB Global camp during the NBA’s All-Star Weekend in February. Maluach is projected to be one of the top picks in the 2025 NBA draft, along with Duke teammate Cooper Flagg.

What do you think of Khaman Maluach's performance in the exhibition games? Let us know in the comment section below.