MIES (Switzerland) - When they stormed through their FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 African Qualifiers with an 11-1 record, it was clear that Luol Deng and his colleagues were building something special.
At the event in the Philippines, they picked up three wins, finishing as the top ranked African team, booking a direct flight to the Paris Olympics. Not a lot of nations can say they've grown so much so fast, but with Deng as the president of the South Sudan Basketball Federation, the Bright Stars keep living the dream.
The next chapter would be facing the United States, Serbia and Puerto Rico in Group C of the Paris Olympics.
The Roster
"It sucks that you can only pick 12 players and our talent is so deep," Deng said at the training camp in London ahead of their first ever trip to the Olympics. No lies detected in his quote.
Coach Royal Ivey has one of the tallest, if not the tallest team of the Olympics, with athleticism and wingspan making a lethal combination for all nations on the other side of the court.
Expect Carlik Jones to be the brain of the operation. The point guard can do all the scoring by himself, or he can choose to involve everybody else to keep the offense fluid. The 26-year-old was up to 21.0 points, 10.4 assists and 4.8 rebounds at the World Cup, coming within one rebound of a triple-double in the game against the Philippines.
Jones is coming back to the national team after a strong season in China, scoring 16.6 points with 4.9 rebounds per game for the Zhejiang Golden Bulls.
At 1.83m (6'0''), Jones is by far the shortest player on their roster. A lot of the other, bigger guys, find happiness in the Australian NBL, while Wenyen Gabriel made a name for himself in the NBA, playing with the Kings, Trail Blazers, Pelicans, Nets, Clippers, Lakers and Grizzlies.
He is set for his first European adventure in 2024, joining Maccabi Tel Aviv on a two-year contract.
Under the rim, South Sudan have one of the hottest prospects in the entire basketball world. Khaman Maluach will turn 18 in September, but he's already a dominant force on both ends of the floor.
He finished the last Basketball Africa League season as the top rebounder (13.5 rebounds per game), while also setting the new mark for most blocks in a single BAL game (7 blocks). After the Olympics, he's moving to the NCAA, committing to the Duke Blue Devils.
Overall, South Sudan do not have that one superstar. But their team-first identity is visible at all times, their biggest strength is that they can push the tempo and keep the same energy going, no matter if the starters or the bench players are out there.
The Question
Is this the start of something special? At the last World Cup, South Sudan had one of the youngest teams, Majok Deng being the only 30-year-old on the final roster.
If they keep the core together in years to come, while witnessing their wunderkind Maluach growing up on and off the court, South Sudan could become the dominant force in Africa.
It takes time, and it takes major event experience. This is why the Olympics in France could be the first major stepping stone for an even brighter future for the Bright Stars.
The Hope
There were plenty of impressive first-timers at the Olympics. Luka Doncic and Slovenia reached the Semi-Finals in Saitama three years ago, Croatia played the Final on their debut in 1992, and Lithuania got three straight bronze medals in their first three appearances at the Olympics.
South Sudan surely hope to repeat some of those success stories, as soon as possible.
The Fear
Is this group too tough for the newcomers? South Sudan lost to both Puerto Rico and Serbia in the Philippines last summer, while the United States are in a league of their own.
The fear is that the answer to this question up here is yes. The fear is that this Olympic experience could be over after just three games.
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