Playing through a hairline fracture, Duke’s Khaman Maluach describes first college basketball experience

Duke rookie Khaman Maluach played his first college game on Saturday against Lincoln. Describing the preseason game to reporters in the locker room, Maluach said:

"My first game felt great, my first college game ever on. Yeah, looking forward for more games."

The South Sudanese center is reportedly nursing a hairline fracture and was in a glove during the game.

"Yeah, my hand is all right," he explained. "I just put a glove on for a slight hand injury, but my hand is doing good." (00:18)

Khaman Maluach began playing basketball very late in life and received formal training when he joined NBA Academy Africa in 2021. He has since represented South Sudan in multiple international games, including the 2024 Paris Olympics.

When asked about the difference between his playing career overseas and at Duke, Maluach said:

"It's definitely different, whether it's with the pacing or with everything else. Some rules are different and the style of basketball, too, is different, and I'll say to the pace is different, like, compared to overseas, and I'll say everything is really different, pretty much different.

"People really play 20 minutes of quarters, like halves, like 20-minute halves. The other side, we play 10 minutes, four quarters, so it's really different, but I'm adjusted to it by now." (00:46)

Duke coach Jon Scheyer predicts a tough transition for Khaman Maluach

Despite picking up the game late, Khaman Maluach has quickly honed his skills. However, the center is far from reaching his full potential in the college basketball format.

Speaking to "The Field of 68 Network," coach Jon Scheyer shared:

"Khaman, he's different from anyone I've ever coached because of how young he is in the game. He just started playing basketball a few years ago. It's going to be somewhat of a process adjusting to the college game."

Scheyer also added that being a big is one of the hardest roles to transition in college but believes Maluach has the skills needed.

"He's got an incredible motor. His personality is contagious, he's talking all the time, and he's got a great skill set. He's just learning how to use it."

Khaman Maluach has a couple more weeks to get his practice sessions in before he plays his first regular season game against Maine on Nov. 4.