For the first time in its history, South Sudan is making its mark on the global basketball stage as it qualifies for the FIBA World Cup. Among the prospects on its extended roster is Wenyen Gabriel, a player with significant NBA experience.
Despite being the youngest national team in the world, having joined FIBA in 2013, South Sudan’s basketball journey has seen remarkable progress, largely attributed to the efforts of the renowned NBA player and philanthropist, Luol Deng.
South Sudan will notably face off against Serbia in the preliminary round of the World Cup. Joining them in Group D are Puerto Rico and China, led by the coaching prowess of the “Maestro,” Aleksandar Djordjevic.
Bright Stars looking at a historical #FIBAWC experience π #WinForSouthSudan πΈπΈ pic.twitter.com/3FQ1QUVY7Q
— FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 π (@FIBAWC) August 10, 2023
Guiding the African team is former NBA player and recent addition to the Houston Rockets coaching staff, Royal Ivey. The preliminary squad comprises 17 individuals, from which a final roster of 12 players will be chosen for the World Cup.
Among the team’s ranks, the name that stands out is Wenyen Gabriel, a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. Gabriel featured in 65 games during the past season, averaging 5.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. His career has also seen stints with the Sacramento Kings, Portland Trail Blazers, Brooklyn Nets, and Los Angeles Clippers.
Marial Shayok and Mangok Mathiang also bring modest NBA experience, with the latter known to fans for his time with Cedevita Olimpija. Unfortunately, a pre-season injury prevented him from playing any official games during the 2021 season.
Another face familiar to the ABA League enthusiasts is Nuni Omot, who played for MZT in 2019. During the qualifiers, Omot recorded an impressive 15.1 points and 4.4 assists per game, spending an average of 25 minutes on the court. He stands as one of only four players to have participated in all South Sudan’s qualifying matches.
Completing the extended roster are Junior Madut, Carlik Jones, Emmanuel Akot, Mareng Gatkoukh, Kuany Kuany, Mathiang Muo, Deng Dut, Deng Acuoth, Major Deng, Peter Jok, Khaman Maluach, Koch Bar, Gob Gabriel, and Sunday Dech.