After being rumored for some time, the Duke University basketball freshman will represent his country at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, it was confirmed on Wednesday's program.
Karman Maruaha, a five-star freshman who announced his transfer to the Blue Devils in early March, will play for the South Sudan men's national team, led by Duke legend Luol Deng, this summer.
We are really looking forward to working with Carman after he competes in the Olympics this summer with Luol Deng. and the South Sudan National Team,” Duke head coach John Scheyer said in a statement Wednesday as the Blue Devils announced the official signing of Maruaha.
Deng, also from South Sudan, has been Maruaha's mentor since he decided to play basketball late in his young life, leading him to Durham for what will likely be his only season of college basketball. It helped guide me.
The former Duke one-and-done has been the president of the South Sudan Basketball Federation since 2019 and currently serves as the team's assistant coach after previously serving as head coach.
Kaman Maruaha was selected to South Sudan's roster last summer to compete in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, immediately becoming the youngest player on the roster at 16 years old. The team was ranked Africa's best team at the tournament and qualified for the Olympics.
As a member of NBA Academy Africa, he currently plays in the Basketball Africa League (BAL). Maruaha recently competed at the Nike Hoop Summit as a member of Team World, but struggled in limited time on the court.
He is expected to be the Blue Devils' starting center next season, alongside top-ranked rookie Cooper Flagg in Duke's frontcourt. Both players are currently projected to be top-three picks in the 2025 NBA Draft.