Cooper Flagg is great, but stats prove he is not the only elite prospect on Duke's roster

The Duke Blue Devils have won 11 straight heading into Saturday's showdown with Boston College.

The bulk of the credit has (rightfully) gone to Cooper Flagg. The freshman has transformed his entire shot profile, breaking out of an early-season shooting funk and then some. Flagg was 17 when the campaign started. Right now, less than one month after his 18th birthday, he's making a strong case for the Wooden Award.

Duke's success belongs to more than Flagg, though. It has been a complete team effort, with a vast array of commendable performances worthy of acclaim.

As far as NBA Draft scouts are concerned, the focus on Duke is often split three ways between the five-star freshmen. Cooper Flagg, of course, is widely projected as the No. 1 pick. Kon Knueppel is lottery-bound with a compelling blend of skill and IQ on the wing. And then there's Khaman Maluach, the 18-year-old big man from South Sudan.

Maluach has been a bit of a puzzler for some folks. He's only averaging 20.1 minutes per game despite starting games at center for the Blue Devils. At 7-foot-2 and 250 pounds, it has been easy to lump Maluach into the category of "raw" big men with outlier physical tools. He is essentially viewed as a project.

That probably isn't fair, though. The stats are more impressive than one might think from a brief glance at the box score. Maluach is special.

Khaman Maluach is another very special NBA Draft prospect on Duke's roster

Does Maluach stumble into the occasional bad foul? Does he blow his assignment sometimes? Sure, every 18-year-old center does. There isn't a harder job on the court than anchoring the middle defensively. Maluach has help from Flagg and others, but he is the Blue Devils' primary rim deterrent. There is immense responsbility inherent to that role.

Still, Maluach also moves incredibly well for his size and makes plenty of sharp, effective choices, which offset the bad ones far more often than not. He's averaging 3.2 blocks per 100 possessions. Once he hones his fluidity, coordination, and anticipation skills at the next level, Maluach has special defensive upside.

That isn't even what puts Maluach in the top-five conversation, though. He has been equally, if not more dominant as an offensive weapon. Like most towering 7-footers, Maluach relies on his point guard and perimeter weapons to feed him clean looks at the rim. Still, Maluach's efficiency on finishes inside — whether he's catching lobs, trucking a smaller defender, or softly kissing it off the rim — is nuts. Like, historically great.

Maluach's 80.6 true shooting percentage would rank first among all draft picks since 2008. He's converting 79.7 percent of his field goal attempts, the majority of which come in the painted area, where his 7-foot-5 wingspan and 250-pound frame is too much for hapless college rim protectors. He has made 1-of-5 3-point attempts on the season, though, and he's shooting 77.3 on free throws. There is legitimate touch to invest in long term. It's not out of the question for Maluach to develop into a bonafide shooter down the line.

There is a simple elegance to Maluach's dominance. He is going to convert the simple finishes more often than anybody else, and he will get to more of them due to his unique catch radius, strength, and fluidity. If Maluach can continue adding to his skill repertoire over time, perhaps adding more face-up drives and gradually extending the range on his jumper, the ceiling is... immense.

Flagg draws eyeballs, as he should, but Maluach is a damn good prospect too. Pay attention.