Khaman Maluach begins official visit to Kentucky today

Kentucky is hosting a huge (literally) high-profile recruit this week as 7-2 center Khaman Maluach begins his official visit to Lexington on Monday. The five-star prospect out of South Sudan arrived on campus early this morning and will be in attendance for the Wildcats’ home matchup vs. Ole Miss on Tuesday, sources tell KSR.

Maluach has taken official visits to Duke and Kansas and will check out the G League Ignite on Feb. 22 before closing out his schedule with a trip to UCLA on Feb. 24.

The NBA Academy Africa standout is rated as the nation’s No. 9 overall recruit and No. 2 center after reclassifying to 2024 back in December. He will be eligible for the 2025 NBA Draft where he is projected as a top-three pick.

Unveiled the top five of my early 2025 mock draft on NBA Today with @malika_andrews. A lot will likely change in the next 18 months.

1. Cooper Flagg (Duke)
2. Ace Bailey (Rutgers)
3. Khaman Maluach (NBA Academy Africa)
4. Jalil Bethea (Miami)
5. Hugo Gonzalez (Real Madrid) pic.twitter.com/DN5caRbOG2

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) January 23, 2024

Maluach is expected to make a final decision at the conclusion of his visit schedule to close out February. Should he sign with Kentucky, he would join a class that includes five-stars Jayden Quaintance and Boogie Fland, along with four-stars Billy Richmond, Somto Cyril and Travis Perry.

The Cats are competing with Duke for the No. 1 overall spot in the team recruiting rankings, this decision likely swaying things either way, certainly considering the Blue Devils are also a finalist for the 7-2, 238-pound center.

“I want to go somewhere where they put my development first,” Maluach told ESPN. “Get me ready for the next step, but also winning too. I would like to go somewhere where I can win a championship.”

A consensus five-star, Maluach is a versatile two-way big with a true post presence and offensive versatility, a shot-blocking threat with a 7-6 wingspan who can also step out and knock down threes.

Will he be a Cat? We won’t have to wait long to find out, a decision expected in the next two weeks.