These two standout centers started together in Africa before reuniting at the Final Four

Duke's Khaman Maluach and Florida's Reuben Chinyelu met at NBA Academy Africa, a hub for talented athletes throughout the continent.

SAN ANTONIO — On Saturday evening, four banner college basketball programs will battle it out for supremacy in the sport — with Duke, Houston, Auburn and Florida preparing for the Final Four. 

But a fascinating subplot in the tale of tournament goliaths is the emergence of two players, one from Nigeria and another from South Sudan, who are now reunited at the NCAA tournament in San Antonio. 

“We don’t have many programs…we actually don’t have any other programs like NBA Academy Africa,” said Khaman Maluach, Duke’s 7-2 center and a projected NBA lottery pick, who attended the elite academy from age 14 until he left for college. 

“It only takes like 24 players, or 22 players [at a time],” he said. “But it’s like millions of kids out there looking for that opportunity.”

One of those other kids — Maluach’s good friend and fellow center, Rueben Chinyelu — is a foundational figure for a Gators squad that just made its first Final Four in more than a decade and first since longtime coach Billy Donovan left the program. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/ncaa/khaman-maluach-rueben-chinyelu-rcna199700

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