Inside South Sudan's basketball team: A complete roster and more to know about historic rise to 2024 Olympics

Bill Bender

Inside South Sudan's basketball team: A complete roster and more to know about historic rise to 2024 Olympics image

The South Sudan men's basketball team is making its Olympic debut – and it will get a shot at Team USA in the 2024 Summer Olympics. 

The quick rise of the South Sudan Basketball Federation (South Sudan gained independence as a nation in 2011, less than two decades ago) is one of the feel-good stories of this year's Olympics — and a nod to the efforts of former NBA star Luol Deng, who is the president and assistant coach for the club. 

The South Sudan men's basketball team had a strong performance in its international debut at the 2023 World Cup and qualified for the Olympics. 

Will this team make a run in Paris in its first appearance? Here's a look inside the South Sudan men's basketball team. 

MORE: Luol Deng has been pivotal in South Sudan's rise to reach Olympics

South Sudan basketball roster at 2024 Olympics

The South Sudan men's basketball team features two players with NBA experience in Carlik Jones and Wenyen Gabriel. JT Thor, who is on the 15-man roster, played three seasons for Charlotte. 

Gabriel played five games for the Memphis Grizzlies last season. Jones played seven games with Chicago in the 2022-23 season. The rest of the roster features several international players. 

A look at the 12-man roster: 

NO.POSNAMEHTTEAMLEAGUE
0SGJunior Madut6-6Tasmania JackJumpersNBL (Australia)
1SFNuni Omot6-9Taichung SunsT1 League (China)
2SGCarlik Jones6-0KK PartizanEuroLeague
6CKhaman Maluach7-1AS DouanesBAL (Africa)
8SFKuany Kuany6-7Keilor ThunderVIC (Australia)
11PGMarial Shayok6-6Maine CelticsNBA G League
12CDeng Acuoth6-10Knox RaidersNBL (Australia)
13PRMajok Deng6-9Tasmania JackJumpersNBL (Australia)
14SGPeter Jok6-6Cholet BasketsPro A (France)
21CKoch Bar6-11Horsens ICBasketligaen (Denmark)
32PFWenyen Gabriel6-9Maccabi Tel AvivEuroLeague
44CSunday Dech6-5Adelaide 36ersNBL (Australia)

South Sudan basketball coaches

Royal Ivey, who played 11 seasons in the NBA and is a current assistant coach for the Houston Rockets, is the head coach for South Sudan. Deng, who was born in Wau, Sudan, played 16 seasons in the NBA. He is an assistant coach for this year's team. Fortune Solomon also is an assistant coach. 

MORE: Explaining Gilbert Arenas' controversial rant about South Sudan basketball

Is Bol Bol on the South Sudan roster? 

Phoenix forward Bol Bol – the son of Sudan basketball legend Manute Bol – was on the South Sudan 25-man training roster, but he will not play in the 2024 Summer Olympics. Bol Bol averaged 5.2 points per game for the Suns last season. 

Manute Bol – a 7-foot-7 center who played 13 seasons in the NBA from 1985-97 – is the country's most famous basketball player. He died in 2010. 

MORE: Ranking Team USA's best players, from Stephen Curry to Derrick White

How South Sudan reached the Olympics

South Sudan qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics with an impressive showing in the 2023 World Cup. South Sudan finished 3-2, which was good for 17th place and the automatic berth for Africa in the Olympics. 

In pool play, South Sudan lost to Puerto Rico 101-96 in overtime, beat China 89-69 and lost to Serbia 115-83. 

In the classification round, South Sudan beat the Philippines 87-68 and beat Angola 101-78. Jones and Gabriel impressed in the tournament, and South Sudan averaged 91.6 points per game. 

That created some excitement heading into Paris. 

MORE: Meet the 17-year-old Duke commit playing for South Sudan at the Olympics

South Sudan Olympic basketball schedule 

South Sudan is in Pool C in the men's basketball tournament. The other teams in Pool C are Serbia, Puerto Rico and the United States. 

South Sudan's pool schedule

  • Sunday, July 28: vs. Puerto Rico (11 a.m. ET) 
  • Wednesday, July 31: vs. United States (9 p.m. ET) 
  • Saturday, Aug. 3: vs. Serbia (9 p.m. ET) 

History of Africa basketball teams in the Olympics

A look at how teams from FIBA Africa have fared in men's basketball at the Olympics. 

Egypt is the only team to finish in the top 10. The Egyptian men's basketball team finished 3-3 and took ninth place in the 1952 Summer Olympics. 

Angola was the last team to win more than one game at the Summer Olympics. Angola finished 2-5 in 1996 – four years after losing 116-48  to the 1992 Dream Team in Barcelona. 

FIBA Africa teams at the Olympics                        

YEARCOUNTRYRECORDPLACE
1936Egypt1-315th
1948Egypt2-519th
1952Egypt3-39th
1968Senegal1-815th
1968Morocco0-916th
1972Senegal1-812th
1972Egypt0-916th
1976Egypt0-712th
1980Senegal1-611th
1984Egypt0-712th
1988Central African Republic2-510th
1988Egypt0-712th
1992Angola2-510th
1996Angola2-511th
2000Angola0-612th
2004Angola0-612th
2008Angola0-512th
2012Nigeria1-410th
2012Tunisia0-511th
2016Nigeria1-411th
2020Nigeria0-310th
2024South SudanTBDTBD

Bill Bender

Bill Bender Photo

Bill Bender graduated from Ohio University in 2002 and started at The Sporting News as a fantasy football writer in 2007. He has covered the College Football Playoff, NBA Finals and World Series for SN. Bender enjoys story-telling, awesomely-bad 80s movies and coaching youth sports.