Sean Miller and his Arizona coaching staff don’t often extend scholarship offers to high school sophomores. It’s rarer still that they offer one to a Tucson player.
Majok Deng is both. So when the Wildcats offered the Salpointe Catholic sophomore forward a scholarship Monday, that probably tells you something.
“He’s been doing great and the improvement has been there,” Salpointe coach Brian Holstrom said Tuesday. “He’s just kind of blowing up.”
The Sudanese refugee, who moved to Tucson six years ago, has begun collecting significant Division I offers already. He’s averaging about 17 points and nine rebounds this season.
Utah offered Deng a scholarship about a month ago, Holstrom said, and others have arrived. Georgia Tech, now under former UA player and assistant coach Josh Pastner, offered; so did Vanderbilt, Portland and San Francisco. Gonzaga is also expressing significant interest.
Holstrom said he’s not sure if Deng, whose first name is pronounced Ma-jook, would make a decision anytime soon since he’s only a sophomore. While Deng has a strong interest in UA, Holstrom said, he has also been carefully evaluating other schools and their academic programs.
The offers are consistent with Deng’s ranking of No. 41 in Scout.com list of top 2019 players. (Deng is not in Rivals’ Top 50 for 2019, and ESPN has not ranked that class yet).
Scout analyst Josh Gershon said Deng is an “absolutely legit Pac-12 small forward,” having proven himself with Salpointe and the Powerhouse Hoops club program.
“He’s a very good prospect, 6-5, with long arms and is an effortless athlete vertically and laterally,” Gershon said. “He can legitimately shoot it to three and he has a relentless motor. This is a kid who loves the game.”
Gershon said Deng is also an “unbelievable kid” who has a strong desire to help his family out after they escaped war-torn South Sudan, first moving to a refugee camp in Kenya and then receiving approval to live in the United States. Deng’s father remains in Kenya, but the family is trying to get him a visa so he can join them here.
Deng played soccer in Sudan but didn’t take up basketball until he moved to Tucson six years ago, meaning he’s still relatively new to the game. But his raw talent and desire to play have meant he’s catching up quickly.
While Salpointe typically plays Deng around the basket, where he is a physical, athletic force, he’s also a 40-percent 3-point shooter.
“It’s been kind of fun watching the learning curve for him,” Holstrom said. “He had the physical tools. It was a matter of how he decided to learn the nuances. He wants to win and he’s passionate playing with other people.”
