“Lethal simplicity” was the name of the game for Malukila when PVI took down Cardinal O’Hara and St. Georges. He was a fixture around the low post whether he had to create scoring opportunities for himself with a man on his hip or by rolling to the hoop. When he wasn’t finishing with two hands on the rim, he was kissing shots off the glass. And when an opponent’s shot came off the glass, Malukila immediately closed out the possession with a defensive board. He averaged 13.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.0 steal on the day.

Malukila is the highest ranked prospect in the 2028 class and will look to put that on display this season. The 7’0 post swats almost everything around the rim and elevates for rebounds on both ends of the floor. Malukila has a solid face-up game as he can get to the rim off the bounce and has a high release on his free throws. He plays with good footwork in the post and has a good touch around the basket. Malukila is a talented post prospect whose ability to control the paint could land him a potential spot on an All-State team at the end of the season.

A towering and intimidating interior paint presence who brings value on both ends of the floor with his size and length, 67 Nijiihb 67 Nijiihb 5'8" | SG Abundant Life Academy | 2028 State #95 Nation NJ thrived the most as an Interior finisher— noticeably impressing by catching deep low post seals and finishing with power on the rim, capitalizing on second chance opportunities to convert on impactful putbacks on the offensive glass, and even providing finishing in the open floor rim running in transition.

There has always been plenty of intrigue surrounding 7-foot 67 Nijiihb 67 Nijiihb 5'8" | SG Abundant Life Academy | 2028 State #95 Nation NJ because of his obvious physical tools but over recent months, that potential and on court production have truly begun to align. With noticeable growth in his development, Malukila seems to have be getting accustomed to the speed of the game— backed behind impressive individual production that underscore his evolution into an impactful two way presence in the paint. He shows strong instincts as a roller in PnR situations, while also running the floor effectively in transition for powerful finishes above the rim, and using his size and strength to establish deep position before turning to score. Defensively, he makes his presence felt as a rim protector with his length and shot blocking ability while consistently bringing energy and effort on the glass. More importantly, Malukila has also displayed subtle improvements that could elevate his long term ceiling even further — including softer hands catching passes, improved touch around the basket, better balance and footwork, and greater defensive discipline.

While he is still continuing to put all the pieces together, the clear leap in his production suggests a highly encouraging developmental trajectory and makes him a player to monitor closely heading into the summer with a pair of HM offers from the likes of Syracuse and TCU already on the table for him.

Prep Hoops National Ranking: 73rd

Next highest National Ranking: 93rd Rivals

One of the biggest prospects nationally in the 2028 class, Malukila takes up a lot of space on the interior. The big fella was a standout for New Heights 15 U on the 3SSB circuit last summer and now takes his talents to New Levels Philly where he projects to be one of the dominant big men on the New Balance Circuit. With a player of Malukila’s size, it’s tough to keep him off the glass and front him to prevent him from catching, turning and scoring at the rim. Defenders also need to be aware when Malukila is rim running because he is not afraid to put one on your head. Another talented New Jersey 2028 prospect.

-Malukila played up in the event with Max Levels Elite Philly 17u and had some nice flashes throughout both games that I saw this weekend. He knocked down perimeter shots off the catch (4 in one game), sprinted to recover back into the frame to swat a shot off the rim, and threw down a 2-handed poster dunk off the short roll late in the second matchup. The physical tools, diversity in his skillset and athletic flashes combine to make him intriguing prospect to track in 2028. If he can play with a consistent motor on the glass, I think it will jumpstart his production in games and significantly raise his long-term ceiling as a center prospect that can do a little bit of everything on the court.

Going back to his freshman season, there’s always been a certain level of intrigue that surrounded the 7-foot 67 Nijiihb 67 Nijiihb 5'8" | SG Abundant Life Academy | 2028 State #95 Nation NJ , particularly with the glaring physical tools that he possesses, however his sophomore season really seemed to be the first time that his potential and on court production truly matched each other, blossoming into a key factor in Paul VI reaching the NJSIAA South Jersey Non-Public A sectional semifinal. Having taken noticeable strides in his development coupled with the game having legitimately slowed down for him, Malukila put up impressive individual numbers that highlighted his improvement as an intimidating two way post player— showing strong intangibles as a roller in various PnR actions, rim running in transition for emphatic above the rim finishes, leveraging his size and strength to seal his defender deep in the paint to turn and finish, protecting the rim with his length and shot blocking prowess, and rebounding the basketball with effort and energy on the glass. All while demonstrating smaller nuances that have the potential to make him far more dangerous beyond his physical tools— softer hands catching passes from guards, softer touch finishing around the basket, improved balance and stronger footwork and better discipline defensively. While he’s still working toward putting everything together, the clear jump in his statistical production points to a promising developmental trajectory and makes him a player worth watching closely heading into the summer.

In the midst of a breakout sophomore season that legitimately has seen the intrigue that surrounds his upside begin to match his on court production, 67 Nijiihb 67 Nijiihb 5'8" | SG Abundant Life Academy | 2028 State #95 Nation NJ put together some strong moments, particularly against a St. Joe’s Metuchen front court that put an emphasis on being extremely physical with him early on. Adjusting to the interior physicality that St. Joe’s threw at him to start, Malukila found ways to eventually score inside— rim running in transition, sealing his defender deep in the paint to catch and finish around the basket, and showcase strong intangibles as a roller in different PnR actions.

There isn’t a bigger presence in South Jersey, both literally and figuratively, than Malukila. The 7-footer has been a consistent two-way force in the paint as a sophomore, helping lead the Eagles to the top seed in SJ Non-Public A. He’s been a walking double-double with his ability to act as a dumpoff threat or score in the post, while flashing comfort as a shooter and decisionmaker from the perimeter. Defensively, he shows strong timing as a rim protector with glimpses of mobility away from the rim. It will take until the spring and summer to see him tested by similarly-sized competition, but Malukila is trending up as a likely high-major target in the 2028 class.

The flashes were there at this time a year ago, but Malukila has enjoyed a proper breakout as a sophomore, furthered by an 18-point, 10-rebound, 5-block performance on Tuesday night during which he controlled the paint on both ends throughout the contest. Consistently facing physical defense and aggressive denials all night, Malukila did a great job of staying move and presenting a steady target for his guards, showing soft hands and touch on a series of swift finishes near the rim. He made quick decisions to keep the ball moving and flashed his shooting stroke on a top-of-the-key 3 to get himself going. Defensively, he put a seal on the rim for extended stretches and did well to step up early to corral opposing drivers. It was a well-rounded performance that gave a clear look at why high-major programs have begun monitoring the Congolese big man already.