International prospect Khaman Maluach will visit Kansas basketball this weekend

Kansas basketball will have a high-profile visitor on campus for this weekend's matchup against Baylor at Allen Fieldhouse. Khaman Maluach will be officially visiting the Jayhawks after already visiting Duke on Jan. 20. The 7-foot-2, 235-pound center from the NBA Academy in South Africa. Maluach is a 2024 prospect and is considered one of the best high school players in the world, regardless of class.

ESPN's College Gameday will be in Lawrence for the game, adding to the already great atmosphere for the Sudan native to experience. It will be a battle of the blue bloods for Maluach, with the likes of Kentucky, UCLA, Kansas, and Duke all receiving visits from the big man, as well as interest from G League Ignite.

The one tricky part for Maluach could be the NIL portion of this recruitment. Since he is not a U.S. citizen, he cannot receive NIL benefits until he is a professional, which brings the G League Ignite team into the fold where he could receive immediate monetary compensation.

With 5-star big man Flory Bidunga already on board for Kansas basketball for the 2024 recruiting class, Maluach's fit will most likely come down to whether Hunter Dickinson returns for his final season of eligibility or not. Right now, Duke and the G League Ignite seem to have the upper hand in this recruitment. However, things could definitely change quickly as this recruitment progresses.

Maluach draws some comparisons to Joel Embiid, which should get Jayhawk fans excited about what he could become. A Joel Embiid recruiting pitch from Bill Self could help lure him in and overtake the early lead set by Duke and the G League Ignite mentioned by many recruiting services. Maluach paired alongside Flory Bidunga could bring exceptional athleticism from the 5-spot that Kansas hasn't had since Embiid was in Lawrence one decade ago.