Khaman Maluach and the Duke Blue Devils lost to Houston in the Final Four on Saturday. (Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
(Jacob Kupferman via Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO — A standout Duke basketball player and projected NBA lottery pick could be at risk of deportation as a result of a state department ruling announced hours before the Blue Devils’ Final Four loss to Houston on Saturday night.
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The United States is revoking all visas for South Sudanese passport holders, effective immediately, and blocking new arrivals, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement posted to X. Rubio cited the African nation’s refusal to accept the return of its nationals expelled from the U.S. “in a timely manner” as the rationale for his decision.
Duke freshman Khaman Maluach is a native of South Sudan who played for that country’s Olympic team last summer. The 7-foot-2 center spent much of his childhood in Uganda after his family fled war-ravaged South Sudan when he was a boy.
Maluach was not made available to reporters during Duke’s media availability after Saturday night’s game. When asked about Maluach’s immigration status, Duke University spokesman Frank Tramble released a brief statement confirming the school is “aware of the announcement from the Department of State regarding visa holders from South Sudan.”
“We are looking into the situation and working expeditiously to understand any implications for Duke students,” Tramble added.
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When contacted Sunday morning by Yahoo Sports, a state department spokesperson said that Rubio’s decision would “impact all those who have a U.S. visa in a South Sudanese passport and anyone with a South Sudanese passport who is applying for a U.S. visa.”
“We will provide further information and instructions to affected visa holders and applicants as it is available,” the state department spokesperson said.
Maluach is one of three projected lottery picks on a Duke team that won 35 games and was the favorite to win the national championship before Saturday’s upset loss. The Blue Devils led Houston by as many as 14 points with eight minutes in the second half before collapsing down the stretch against the tough, never-say-die Cougars.
It’s unclear whether Maluach knew about the state department announcement before tipoff of Duke’s matchup with Houston. Either way, he had one of his worst games of the season, scoring six points but failing to secure a rebound in 21 minutes.
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