Duke basketball's Jon Scheyer 'screwed up,' but it didn't slow down Khaman Malauch

Duke basketball’s Jon Scheyer ‘screwed up,’ but it didn’t slow down Khaman Malauch

Posted by author February 13, 2025 Basketball

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Maluach recorded his fourth double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds while avoiding foul trouble.
Maluach’s consistent performance will be crucial for Duke’s success as the NCAA Tournament approaches.

DURHAM — Jon Scheyer made a mistake early in Duke basketball’s blowout victory against California on Wednesday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Just two and a half minutes into the game, Scheyer had a quick-trigger substitution, replacing starting center Khaman Maluach with sixth man Maliq Brown.

“I screwed up,” Scheyer said after the game. “I thought he got a second foul and I subbed him right away.”

To Scheyer’s credit, foul trouble has been a troubling trend for Malauch in three of the last six games. During that stretch, Maluach has logged four fouls, fouling out in Duke’s loss at Clemson. But that physicality and powerful presence as a rim protector and versatile defender are among Maluach’s best traits.

“Khaman, he’s as good as I’ve seen as a freshman of playing physical and knowing how to use his body. Usually, that takes the longest for freshmen big guys. He naturally, he was coming in in the summer and just hitting guys, ‘cause he likes contact. So, it starts there,” Scheyer said.

“Obviously, he has to learn how to do that and go straight up and go vertical. He’s a student of the game, so he’s been able to grow as the season’s gone along with his defense, with his switching, with blitzing ball screens. I don’t think his versatility gets talked about enough on that end. It’s because of him being so smart and such a great worker.”

What Cooper Flagg, Jon Scheyer said about Khaman Maluach’s confidence, aggressiveness

The early, accidental benching didn’t slow down Duke’s 7-foot-2 center. Learning from his recent experience against the Tigers, Maluach logged a bounce-back effort for the third-ranked Blue Devils (21-3, 13-1 ACC) against the Golden Bears (12-13, 5-9).

“I’ve just worked on that, learning from last game and not picking up silly fouls or fouls early in the first half or beginning of the second half,” Maluach said.

“I watch film and I learn from that. That’s what I did (against Cal).”

The South Sudanese standout finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds for his fourth double-double performance of the season. Maluach grabbed a season-high seven offensive rebounds, dished out a season-best three assists and finished with one foul. He also knocked down his second 3-pointer of the season, which was his first at Cameron.

“I think for Khaman it’s a big confidence thing. He’s a great player, he does everything so well, he kind of gets in his head sometimes,” fellow Duke freshman Cooper Flagg said.

“It’s just keeping him up, keeping him ready, getting him to not foul. When he gets a couple rebounds early, he’s a different player. Get him involved early, get him some touches. … Just letting him know that I trust him, I feel like that’s huge for him. We just have that connection.”

It’s the kind of production Duke will consistently need from Maluach as March Madness gets closer on the calendar.

“His impact is always going to be more than just scoring,” Scheyer said. “But I just thought his aggressiveness and the way he played (against Cal) was what we need from him.”

Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.