Duke star Khaman Maluach impacted by State Department ruling on South Sudan after Final Four loss

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed on Saturday that the State Department is taking serious actions to revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders. According to USA Today, this ruling could greatly affect Duke star Khaman Maluach, who wrapped up his true freshman season in the Final Four on the same day.

A State Department spokesperson responded to USA Today saying that the ruling will impact “all those who have a U.S. visa in a South Sudanese passport and anyone with a South Sudanese passport who is applying for a U.S. visa.” Maluach, who was born in South Sudan, committed to Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils in March 2024.

Rubio revealed he made the decision has based on “the failure of South Sudan’s transitional government to accept the return of its repatriated citizens in a timely manner.” The State Department said it would provide further information and instructions to those affected by the matter as it’s available.

The 7 foot 2 Maluach committed to Duke after playing for the NBA Academy Africa, and even helped his home country qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. He was named the MVP of the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders Africa camp twice in the year leading up to his arrival in Durham.

At the time of his commitment, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer said that Maluach’s experiences brought “incredible perspective and unique talents” to his program. He went on to average 8.6 points per game, as well as 6.6 rebounds on a 71.2% field goal percentage.

Against Houston on Saturday Maluach contributed six points and a block in 21 minutes on the court. He finished the game with four fouls as the Blue Devils went on to relinquesh a multi-score lead in the final two minutes of the Final Four matchup, eventually losing the game 70-67, ending his true freshman season in heartbreak.

In the two previous games NCAA Tournament games played last weekend, Maluach’s averaged inflated to 13.5 points per game, and had six blocks over that span to go with 7.5 rebounds per game. This came after scoring 11 and eight points, respectively during Duke’s first two games in March Madness.

What Maluach’s future in Durham, or potentially the NBA if he makes that jump, looks like moving forward remains to be seen. Based on the State Department’s statement, however, it appears that more information will be released in the coming days or weeks.