Since President Donald Trump began his second term in January, the country's immigration policies have been chaotically reworked, with dramatic and terrifying new updates coming almost every day. The latest, could have huge implications for the basketball world.
On Saturday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on X that the US Government was working to "revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and to restrict any further issuance to prevent entry into the United States, effective immediately, due to the failure of South Sudan's transitional government to accept the return of its repatriated citizens in a timely manner."
South Sudan is the world's newest country, officially gaining independence in 2011. It's also, completely unexpectedly, a basketball power on the rise. The South Sudan national team qualified for the last Olympics, pushed Team USA to the limit in a tight, exhibition loss and then won a group stage game over Puerto Rico.
Khaman Maluach played only a handful of garbage time minutes during the Olympics but was pretty clearly the future of basketball in South Sudan. The 18-year-old center was already on NBA Draft radars and headed to Duke to begin his college career.
Maluach, the fifth-ranked prospect on Chris Kline's latest big board, only improved across his freshman season averaged 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game this season, shooting 71.2 percent from the field. Those numbers might not look all that impressive at first glance, but they work out to 16.2 points, 12.4 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per 36 minutes.
Maluach's size — 7-foot-2 with a 7-foot-6 wingspan — is his most obvious positive attribute. But, as Kline pointed out, it's also his ability to make the most of the simplest opportunities and low-hanging fruit that his physical tools provide:
"What's great about Maluach is how effectively he executes the simplest of plays. There hasn't been a more proficient interior finisher since... well, it's been a while. Maluach is setting records with his efficiency. He's not taking a bunch of 3s or attempting the most challenging shots, but blessed with a sturdy frame and a 7-foot-6 wingspan, Maluach inhales space and finishes everything within arm's reach of the rim."
To be fair, he struggled mightily in Duke's surprising Final Four loss to Houston, getting outplayed by a pair of frontcourt players much smaller. Still, if he opted to leave Duke and enter the 2025 NBA Draft he'd almost certainly be a lottery pick, drawing particular interest from teams like the Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors, Houston Rockets and Chicago Bulls.
Khaman Maluach could face deportation if new South Sudan immigration policies are fully implemented
Per the BBC, Duke released a statement acknowledging Rubio's announcement and saying they were looking into it, without mentioning Maluach by name: "We are looking into the situation and working expeditiously to understand any implications for Duke students."
As of right now, there are no details on a potential timeline for these new immigration policies to take effect. Maluach hasn't announced any decision about potentially returning to Duke or heading to the NBA, but there's a chance the decision may be taken completely out of his hands with both options off the table.
Per RealGM, there are 52 other current NCAA basketball players from South Sudan, although none are as high profile as Maluach and it's not clear if all of them are South Sudanese citizens holding visas and potentially affected by these new policies.